Queen Hyojeong (6 March 1831 – 2 January 1904; 효정왕후 홍씨) of the

Namyang Hong clan Namyang Hong clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, Gyeonggi Province. According to the research held in 2015, the number of Namyang Hong clan members was 487,488. The Namyang Hong clan is divided into the ...

, was the second wife and queen consort of King

Heonjong of Joseon Heonjong of Joseon (8 September 1827 – 25 July 1849) was the 24th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the grandson of Sunjo. His father was Crown Prince Hyomyeong (posthumously named Munjo of Joseon), who died at the age of 20 before ...

, the 24th monarch of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

. After his death in 1849, she was known as Queen Mother Myeongheon (명헌대비, 明憲大妃) and later Queen Dowager Myeongheon (명헌왕대비, 明憲王大妃) during King Cheoljong’s reign. After the proclamation of the Korean Empire, she became known as Empress Dowager Myeongheon (명헌왕태후). She was posthumously called Hyojeong, the Accomplishment Empress (효정성황후, 孝定成皇后).

Life

Early life and marriage

Lady Hong was born on 6 March 1831 into the Namyang Hong clan to Hong Jae-ryeong and Lady Ahn of the Juksan Ahn clan. She was the eldest within four children. After the first young queen consort,

Queen Hyohyeon Queen Hyohyeon (27 April 1828 – 18 October 1843) (Hangul: 효현왕후 김씨, Hanja: 孝顯王后金氏) of the Andong Kim clan, was the wife and the queen consort of King Heonjong of Joseon, the 24th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. She was p ...

, had died in 1843, Lady Hong was arranged to become new Queen Consort of Joseon after the mourning period ended. She married Heonjong at the age of 14 in 1844 where the marriage ceremony was held within the palace. file:The Grand Congratulaotry Ceremony of the Festive Royal Wedding of King Heonjong.jpg, center, 1000px, A folding screen which was depicted all the pomp and ceremony of a royal wedding of

and Queen Hyojeong As she was the king’s wife, her mother was given the royal title of "Internal Princess Consort Yeonchang" (Hangul: 연창부부인, Hanja: 延昌府夫人), and her father was given the royal title of "Internal Prince Ikpung" (Hangul: 익풍부원군, Hanja: 益豊府院君). But her husband soon died in 1849 at the age of 22; leaving no heirs and making her Queen Dowager of Joseon at the age of 19.

Life as Queen Dowager

After Grand Queen Dowager Myeonggyeong’s death in 1857, she was elevated to the rank of Royal Queen Dowager. Together with the Queen Dowager at that time,

Queen Cheorin Queen Cheorin (27 April 1837 – 12 June 1878), of the Andong Kim clan, was queen consort of Joseon by marriage to King Cheoljong. She was known as Queen Dowager Myeongsun (명순대비) after the death of her husband and during King Gojong� ...

, it was said that to appease her own boredom, Queen Hyojeong had worked with Queen Cheorin to take care of the younger court ladies in the palace. Queen Hyojeong raised a young court attendant at the Dowager’s residence. The court attendant’s name was Cheon Il-cheong (Hangul: 천일청, Hanja: 千一淸); who was supposedly the last court attendant in the Joseon Dynasty. Because the throne was vacant, this led to a distant relative,

Cheoljong of Joseon Cheoljong of Joseon (25 July 1831 – 16 January 1864) was the 25th king of the Joseon, reigning from 1849 to 1864. After Heonjong of Joseon died without male heir in 1849, Queen Sunwon chose Cheoljong, aged 19, to be the next king, as the heir ...

, to take the throne in 1849, but then the king also died in 1864 leaving the throne empty. The

Heungseon Daewongun Heungseon Daewongun (흥선대원군, 興宣大院君, 21 December 1820 – 22 February 1898; ), also known as the Daewongun (대원군, 大院君), Guktaegong (국태공, 國太公, "The Great Archduke") or formally Internal King Heungseon Heon ...

then approached the

Queen Shinjeong Queen Sinjeong (Hangul: 신정왕후, Hanja: 神貞王后; 21 January 1809 – 4 June 1890), also known as Queen Dowager Hyoyu (효유왕대비), of the Pungyang Jo clan, was the only wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong and mother of Heonjong of Joseo ...

, Cheoljong's cousin, as he was a distant relative of

King Injo Injo of Joseon (7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649), born Yi Jong, was the sixteenth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He was the grandson of King Seonjo and son of Prince Jeongwon. He was the king during the Later Jin invasion of Joseon, ...

and the adoptive son of

Prince Eunsin Prince Eunsin (; 11 January 1755 – 29 March 1771), personal name Yi Jin (), was a Korean prince, as the fourth son of Crown Prince Sado, and his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Buan Im clan. He later become the heir of Prince Yeoll ...

. The Heungseon Daewongun was ineligible to throne due to a law that dictated that any possible heir to the kingdom be part of the generation after the most recent incumbent of the throne, but his second son

Yi Myeong-bok Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

, was a possible successor to the throne. On 21 January 1864, Yi Myeong-bok was enthroned as King Gojong.

Later life

The Queen Dowager’s mother-in-law, Grand Queen Dowager Hyoyu, died in 1890. Although she was the most senior royal member, she did not promote to Grand Queen Dowager and continued being Queen Dowager throughout the reigns of King Cheoljong and King Gojong. It wasn’t until Gojong’s proclamation of the Korean Empire that the Queen Dowager became and held the title of being the empire’s only Empress Dowager of Korea on 13 October 1897. She later died on 2 January 1904 within the palace quarters of Gyeongun Palace, now known as the

Deoksu Palace Deoksugung, also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea's Royal Family during the Joseon monarchy until the annexation of Korea by Japan in ...

, during the 7th year of

Emperor Gwangmu Gojong (; 8 September 1852 – 21 January 1919) was the monarch of Korea from 1864 to 1907. He reigned as the last King of Joseon from 1864 to 1897, and as the first Emperor of Korea from 1897 until his forced abdication in 1907. He is known ...

’s reign. Her tomb, Gyeongneung, is located in

Donggureung Dongguneung (literally "The Nine Eastern Royal Tombs"), is a cluster of royal tombs from the Joseon dynasty, the largest of its kind in South Korea. 17 Joseon kings and queens are buried here. The cluster also houses a ''myo''-type tomb (of a ...

, in the city of

Guri Guri (, lit. Nine Villages Town(Town of Nine Villages) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is located immediately to the east of Seoul, in the heart of the Capital Metropolitan Area. The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are locat ...

Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

, and is buried with her husband, Heonjong, and his first wife,

Family

* Great-Grandfather ** Hong Byeong-chae (홍병채, 洪秉寀) * Grandfather ** Hong Gi-seob (홍기섭, 洪耆燮) (1781 - 1866) * Grandmother ** Lady Jang of the

Deoksu Jang clan The Deoksu Jang clan () is one of the bon-gwan or Korean clans from Kaepung County, North Hwanghae Province.The clan was founded by , an Arab- Uiguric Muslim civil servant who served in the Goryeo court. According to the research held in 2015, t ...

(본관: 덕수 장씨, 德水張氏) (1781–1824) * Father ** Hong Jae-ryeong (홍재룡, 洪在龍) (6 November 1794 - 21 February 1863) * Mother ** Internal Princess Consort Yeonchang of the

Juksan Ahn clan Juksan Ahn clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan was in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. According to the research held in 2015, the number of Juksan Ahn clan’s member was 77026. Their founder was who was a I Won ()’s eldest son, and ...

(연창부부인 죽산 안씨, 延昌府夫人竹山安氏) (1814–1883) *** Maternal Grandfather: Ahn Gwang-jik (안광직, 安光直) (1775 - 1861) *** Maternal Step-Grandmother: Lady Yi of the

Yeonan Yi clan The Yeonan Yi clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Yeonan County, North Korea. According to the census held in 2015, the number of Yeonan Yi clan’s member was 164,036. Their founder was . It is did that around 660, he became ...

(증 정경부인 연안 이씨, 贈貞敬夫人延安李氏) (1774–1795) *** Maternal Grandmother: Lady Yu of the Munhwa Yu clan (증 정경부인 문화 유씨, 贈貞敬夫人文化柳氏) (1777–1840); Ahn Gwang-jik's second wife * Siblings ** Younger brother: Hong Jong-seok (홍종석, 洪鍾奭) (1834 - 1870) ** Younger sister: Lady Hong (홍씨, 洪氏) ** Younger brother: Hong Jong-seon (홍종선, 洪鍾譱) (1854 - ?) * Husband ** Yi Hwan, Heonjeong of Joseon (8 September 1827 – 25 July 1849) – No issue. *** Mother-in-law:

of the

Pungyang Jo clan The Pungyang Jo clan () is a Korean clan that traces its origin to Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. According to the 2015 Korean census, the clan has 124,262 members. Origin Jo Maeng (조맹, 趙孟), who was also known by the name of Ba-woo or B ...

(신정익황후 조씨) (21 January 1809 – 4 June 1890) *** Father-in-law: Yi Yeong, Munjo of Joseon (문조) (18 September 1809 – 25 June 1830) *** Adoptive brother-in-law: Yi Myeong-bok, Emperor Gojong (고종태황제) (8 September 1852 – 22 January 1919) **** Adoptive sister-in-law: Min Ja-yeong, Empress Myeongseong of the

Yeoheung Min clan The Yeoheung Min clan () is a Korean clan that traces its origin to Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. The 2015 Korean Census counted 167,124 members of the Yeoheung Min clan. Origin The Yeoheung Min clan's progenitor was Min Ching-do (민칭도, 閔� ...

(명성태황후 민씨) (17 November 1851 – 8 October 1895) ***** Adoptive nephew: Yi Cheok, Emperor Yunghui (융희효황제) (25 March 1874 – 24 April 1926)

Notes

References

* *https://www.usfca.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/app_xii1_4_kim.pdf *https://www.scholarship.edu.vn/wiki/en/Queen_Hyohyeon *https://thetalkingcupboard.com/joseon/royal-ladies-of-joseon-dynasty/#hyojeong 1831 births 1904 deaths Royal consorts of the Joseon dynasty Korean queens consort 19th-century Korean women Korean posthumous empresses {{Korea-stub