Yes, a king has, according to legend, married his mother. The most famous example is Oedipus Rex.
The Story of Oedipus
The ancient Greek tragedy of Oedipus tells the tale of a man who unknowingly fulfills a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. While a work of fiction, it serves as a potent example answering the question of whether such a thing has been represented in stories about kings.
- The Prophecy: King Laius of Thebes learns that his son would kill him and marry his wife, Jocasta.
- Attempted Prevention: Laius orders his infant son, Oedipus, to be abandoned on a mountainside to die.
- Unintended Survival: A shepherd finds Oedipus and gives him to King Polybus and Queen Merope of Corinth, who raise him as their own.
- Fulfillment of the Prophecy: Oedipus, fearing he would fulfill a similar prophecy about killing his father, leaves Corinth, unaware that Polybus and Merope are not his biological parents. He encounters and kills Laius (his biological father) in a dispute.
- Becoming King: Oedipus goes on to defeat the Sphinx by solving a riddle to become king of Thebes.
- Unwitting Marriage: He marries the widowed Queen Jocasta, unaware that she is his mother.
- Discovery and Consequences: A plague falls on Thebes, and the truth is revealed. Jocasta commits suicide, and Oedipus blinds himself.
While the story of Oedipus is fictional, it remains a powerful and enduring narrative exploring themes of fate, free will, and the consequences of unknowingly committing terrible acts. It provides a clear answer to the question, at least within the realm of myth and legend.
