Queen Jeongseong
| Queen Jeongseong 정성왕후 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen consort of Joseon | |||||
| Tenure | 16 October 1724 – 23 March 1757 | ||||
| Predecessor | Queen Seonui | ||||
| Successor | Queen Jeongsun | ||||
| Crown Princess of Joseon | |||||
| Tenure | 15 November 1721 – 16 October 1724 | ||||
| Predecessor | Crown Princess Eo | ||||
| Successor | Crown Princess Jo | ||||
| Born | 2 January 1693 Gahoebang, Kingdom of Joseon | ||||
| Died | 23 March 1757 (aged 64) Gwanrigak, Daejojeon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon | ||||
| Burial | |||||
| Spouse | Yeongjo of Joseon (m. 1703–1757) | ||||
| Issue |
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| Clan | Daegu Seo clan (by birth) Jeonju Yi clan (by marriage) | ||||
| Dynasty | House of Yi | ||||
| Father | Seo Jong-jae, Internal Prince Dalseong | ||||
| Mother | Internal Princess Consort Jamseong of the Ubong Yi clan | ||||
| Religion | Korean Buddhism | ||||
| Seal |  | ||||
Queen Jeongseong (정성왕후 서씨; 2 January 1693 – 23 March 1757[1]), of the Daegu Seo clan, was the first wife of King Yeongjo of Joseon and the adoptive mother of Crown Prince Sado.[2]
Biography
The future queen was born on 12 January 1693 in Gahoebang (가회방, 嘉會坊). She was the second daughter and fourth child of Seo Jong-jae and Lady Yi of the Ubong Yi clan.
In November 1703, at the age of ten, she married the eight-year-old Prince Yeoning. As the wife of a prince, she was given the title of Princess Consort Dalseong (달성군부인). On their first night of marriage, it was said that Prince Yeoning had asked how were the hands of the princess so pretty. The princess responded by saying that she never did any labor to get them dirty. This comment had unsettled the Prince because it reminded him of his mother, Royal Noble Consort Suk.
It was said that from then on to her death as Queen, the Princess was not visited much from the Prince.
In 1720, her husband was appointed as Crown Prince (왕세제, 王世弟). As his wife, Dalseong was given the title Crown Princess Consort (왕세제빈).
In 1724, Prince Yeoning's older brother, King Gyeongjong died. Prince Yeoning ascended the throne on 30 August of that year as King Yeongjo and she became his queen consort.
As queen, it was said that she held a generous character to her. The Queen had also cherished and treated Crown Prince Hyojang, Yi Jeong-bin's son, and Crown Prince Sado, Yi Yeong-bin’s son, as if they were her own sons.
The Queen died at Changdeok Palace on 3 April 1757, and is buried in Seoreung within Hongreung in Yongdu-gong, Deokyang ward, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. King Yeongjo had her buried near his father, Sukjong of Joseon, in Myeongreung, and because her tomb was built before her husband died, King Yeongjo reserved a spot next her mound intending to be buried with her.
However, when King Yeongjo died in 1776, King Jeongjo was conscious of the Queen Dowager, and built Wonreung to bury the former King and later, the late Queen Dowager. This left the right side of Queen Jeongseong’s mound vacant and when people visit, they note the empty space to be pitiful as the Queen is considered to be alone even after death.
Queen Jeongseong had no biological children, but her death distressed her adoptive son, Crown Prince Sado. As well as the death of her legal mother-in-law, Queen Dowager Hyesun, who died one month later on 2 May 1757 which contributed to the Crown Prince’s declining mental condition.[3]
Family
Parent
- Uncle - Seo Jong-cheok (서종척, 徐宗惕)
- Father − Seo Jong-jae (서종제, 徐宗悌) (1656 - 1719)
- Uncle - Seo Jong-shin (서종신, 徐宗愼)
- Uncle - Seo Jong-hyeob (서종협, 徐宗恊)
- Uncle - Seo Jong-il (서종일, 徐宗一)
- 1) Grandfather − Seo Mun-do (서문도, 徐文道) (1628 - 1700)
- 2) Great-Grandfather − Seo Hyeong-ri (서형리, 徐亨履) (1596 - 1667)
- 3) Great-Great-Grandfather − Seo Gyeong-su (서경수, 徐景需)[4]
- 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandfather - Seo Seong (서성, 徐渻) (1558 - 1631)
- 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandmother - Lady Song (송씨, 宋氏); daughter of Song Ryeong (송령, 宋寧)
- 3) Great-Great-Grandfather − Seo Gyeong-su (서경수, 徐景需)[4]
- 2) Great-Grandmother − Lady Seong of the Changnyeong Seong clan (증 정경부인 창녕 성씨, 贈 貞敬夫人 昌寧 成氏) (1596 - 1668)
- 2) Great-Grandfather − Seo Hyeong-ri (서형리, 徐亨履) (1596 - 1667)
- 1) Grandmother − Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan (증 정경부인 안동 김씨, 贈 貞敬夫人 安東 金氏) (1630 - 1709); daughter of Kim Jeong-ji (김정지, 金鼎之)
- 1) Grandfather − Seo Mun-do (서문도, 徐文道) (1628 - 1700)
- Mother − Internal Princess Consort Jamseong of the Ubong Yi clan (잠성부부인 우봉 이씨, 岑城府夫人 牛峰 李氏) (1660 - 1738)
- Grandmother - Lady Kim of the Uiseong Kim clan (의성 김씨, 義城 金氏); daughter of Kim Gyu (김규, 金圭)
- Grandfather - Yi Sa-chang (이사창, 李師昌)
Sibling(s)
- Older brother − Seo Myeong-baek (서명백, 徐命伯) (1678 - 1738)
- Older brother − Seo Myeong-hyu (서명휴, 徐命休)
- Nephew − Seo No-su (서노수, 徐魯修)
- Older sister − Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan
- Brother-in-law − Yi Jung-gyeong (이중경, 李重慶) of the Gwangju Yi clan
- Older sister − Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan
- Brother-in-law − Shin Jeong-jib (신정집, 申正集) of the Goryeong Shin clan
- Younger sister − Lady Seo of the Daegu Seo clan
- Brother-in-law − Im Geo (임거, 林蘧) of the Naju Im clan (나주 임씨, 羅州 林氏)
In popular culture
- Portrayed by Kim Ae-kyung in the 1988 MBC TV series 500 Years of Joseon: Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong.
- Portrayed by Moon Ye-ji in the 1998 MBC TV series The King's Road.
- Portrayed by Jung Mo-rye and Shin Gyu-ri in the 2010 MBC TV series Dong Yi.
- Portrayed by Park Shin-hye in the 2014 film The Royal Tailor.
- Portrayed by Park Myung-shin in the 2015 film The Throne.
- Portrayed by Kim Sun-kyung in the 2017 MBC TV series The Emperor: Owner of the Mask.
- Portrayed by Choi Soo-im in the 2019 SBS TV series Haechi.
Notes and references
- ^ In Lunar Calendar, the Queen was born on 7 December 1692 and died on 15 February 1757
- ^ Kim Haboush, JaHyun (2013). The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth-Century Korea (2 ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20055-5.
- ^ "Biography of Crown Prince Sado of Korea (1735-1762), "The Rice-Box King"". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
- ^ He was a 7th great-grandson of Seo Geo-jeong (서거정, 徐居正; 1420 - 1488) who served 6 kings (Sejong, Munjong, Danjong, Sejo, Yejong, and Seongjong). Seo’s mother was Gwon Geun’s daughter and the paternal aunt of Gwon Ram
- ^ Seo Jae-pil’s 6th great-grandfather
- ^ Seo Gwang-beom’s 5th great-grandfather
