Wikipedia

Queen Janggyeong (Joseon)

Not to be confused with the mid Goryeo Queen Consort as the first wife of Uijong of Goryeo, Queen Janggyeong (Goryeo).

Queen Janggyeong (Korean: 장경왕후; Hanja: 章敬王后; 10 August 1491 – 16 March 1515[a]), of the Papyeong Yun clan, was the wife and second queen consort of Yi Yeok, King Jungjong, the 11th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1507 until her death in 1515.

Queen Janggyeong
장경왕후
章敬王后
Queen consort of Joseon
Tenure1506 – 16 March 1515
PredecessorQueen Dangyeong
SuccessorQueen Munjeong
Royal consort of Joseon
Reign1506
BornYun Myeong-hye (윤명혜)
10 August 1491
Hyohyeon-bang, Hanseong, Joseon
Died16 March 1515 (1515-03-17) (aged 23)
Byeol Hall, Dong Palace, Gyeongbok Palace, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial
Huireung
SpouseYi Yeok, King Jungjong (m. 1506–1515)
Issue
Posthumous name
숙신명혜선소의숙장경왕후
HousePapyeong Yun
FatherYun Yeo-Pil
MotherInternal Princess Consort Suncheon of the Suncheon Park clan

Biography

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Yun Myeong-hye (윤명혜) was born on 10 August 1491 during the twenty-second year reign of King Seongjong. Her father, Yun Yeo-pil, was member of the Papyeong Yun clan and her mother was member of the Suncheon Park clan (순천 박씨; 順天 朴氏). She was the fifth child within her six siblings and the fourth daughter within her five sisters, and her only older brother, Yun Im.

Through her mother, Lady Yun was a great-great-granddaughter of Sim On; who was the father of Queen Soheon, the wife of King Sejong the Great. Making Lady Yun second cousins twice removed to King Sejo and King Munjong.

Through her father, she was a third cousin of Queen Munjeong and Yun Won-hyeong, as well as a great-grandniece of Queen Jeonghui. With her future husband, they were also third cousins as they shared Yun Beon, Queen Jeonghui’s father, as their great-great-grandfather. As well as fourth cousins as they also shared King Taejong as their great-great-great-grandfather.

Her father's sister married a first cousin once removed of Queen Jeongsun; thus making her aunt a daughter-in-law to Im Sa-hong. As well as a sister-in-law to Yi Hang, Prince Ahnyang (안양군 이항; 1480–1505); who was the son of King Seongjong and Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Chogye Jeong clan. Her aunt later became a grandaunt to Queen Inheon and a great-grandaunt to King Injo.

Because her mother died in 1498 after she gave birth to her younger sister, her maternal aunt, Grand Princess Consort Seungpyeong of the Suncheon Park clan, had raised her in her mother's stead. Although Yun Yeo-pil did not remarry, Lady Yun did have a younger half-sister. But her family or father's ancestry does not mention any record of a concubine or second mother besides her younger half-sister's name and birth year.

Lady Yun's eldest sister, Princess Papyeong, married Prince Deokpung (her step-cousin), who was the son of Grand Prince Wolsan (a son of Queen Insu) and the step-son of her maternal aunt.

In 1506 (during King Jungjong’s first year of reign), Lady Yun had entered the palace as a concubine for the King within the inner court list, granted the title suk-ui (숙의; 淑儀), junior 2nd rank concubine of the King. After Queen Dangyeong was deposed, Yun Suk-ui had been chosen from the other concubines, and became the Queen Consort of Joseon that same year.

On 13 June 1511, the Queen gave birth to Princess Hyohye, the eldest daughter of King Jungjong, and on 10 March 1515, she later gave birth to a son, Yi Ho, the future King Injong.

Death

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The Queen died six days later in Gyeongbok Palace within the quarters of Gong Palace’s Byeoljeon Hall at the age of 24 due to postpartum sickness. She was buried in Huireung within the city of Goyang, Gyeonggi Province and posthumously honoured with the title Queen Janggyeong.

Annals of King Jungjong, Volume 21, 10th Year of Jungjong's Reign, March 7th, 4th Article / The Record of the Late Queen Issued from the Palace[1]:


"In the 10th year of the reign of King Jungjong, on March 7th, the record of the late queen was issued from the palace.

The queen was born in the 7th month of the year of Gyeongjin (庚辰) during the reign of Emperor Hongzhi (弘治) in a private residence. She lost her mother early and was raised in the house of Lady Park (朴氏), the wife of the deceased Grand Prince Wolsan (月山大君). In the autumn of the year of Byeongin (丙寅), when the King was restoring the dynasty, the queen had not yet been chosen. She was selected and entered the palace, where she was conferred the title of Sook-ui (淑儀). She served the King with propriety and treated her peers generously, displaying unparalleled virtue. At that time, the ministers requested the King to establish a queen, but the King replied, 'The position of the national mother is extremely important and cannot be decided hastily.' In the year of Jeongmyo (丁卯), the ministers again requested, 'The position of the queen cannot remain vacant for long; please establish one quickly.' The King replied, 'There is no one with the virtuous qualities of Sook-ui Yoon; she should be established as the queen.' Thus, in the 8th month, she was elevated to the position of queen.

The queen was naturally intelligent and wise, kind and gentle, and widely read. She served her mother-in-law with utmost devotion, consistently performing her duties from dawn till late at night. She treated the concubines with kindness and raised the children of the secondary wives as if they were her own. She managed the household with strictness and clarity and assisted the King diligently. She often said to the King, 'I have read the ancient texts, and although I may not reach the virtues of a wise wife, my wish is not to be seen as disobedient to Your Majesty's will. If I make any mistakes, please do not hesitate to correct me so that I may amend my faults.' She also said, 'The success or failure of my family depends on the virtue of the queen. How could I seek positions for my relatives? If they are virtuous, public opinion will naturally favor them; if not, public opinion will naturally discard them. Even if they are punished, whose fault would it be? I will not resent it.' During her nine years as queen, she never once requested a position for her relatives or sought to pardon anyone. The King deeply admired her, saying, 'The queen's resolve is lofty, comparable to the virtues of Lady Tai Si (太姒).' Thus, she was highly respected, and no one ever criticized her.

In the year of Shinmi (辛未), on the day of Jeongmyo (丁卯) in the 5th month, she gave birth to a daughter, who was still too young to wear a hairpin. On the day of Gyechuk (癸丑) in the 2nd month of the year of Eulhae (乙亥), she gave birth to the Crown Prince, but only a few days later, she suddenly fell seriously ill. The King was greatly alarmed and personally visited her, asking if there was anything she wished to say. At first, she replied, 'I have received great kindness and have nothing to say,' and only shed tears. The next morning, her condition worsened, and she sat up and wrote a letter to the King, saying, 'Yesterday, my mind was confused, and I could not remember clearly. Upon reflection, I recall that last summer, in a dream, someone told me to name this child Eokmyeong (億命), so I wrote it down and posted it on the wall.' The King verified this and found it to be true. How extraordinary! Despite all efforts to save her, she passed away on the 2nd day of this month in the Eastern Palace of Gyeongbokgung at the age of 25. The King was deeply grieved and lamented, saying, 'It is said that extreme joy brings sorrow. How can there be such a great national celebration and yet such an unforeseen tragedy? Although life and death are determined by heaven, how could heaven take away my virtuous queen so early?' He could not stop mourning. He then instructed the State Council, 'Having lost my virtuous queen so early, my mind is in turmoil, and I am at a loss. I cannot make decisions. Except for matters related to mourning, suspend all other reports.' Inside the palace, there was no one who did not grieve deeply."

The record of the late queen's life and deeds largely follows this account.

Aftermath

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After her death, the 29-year-old King Jungjong later married the 17-year-old daughter of Yun Ji-im of the Papyeong Yun clan, posthumously honoured as Queen Munjeong, in 1517. She gave birth to Princess Uihye in 1521, Princess Hyosun in 1522, an unnamed child in 1528, Princess Gyeonghyeon in 1530, the future King Myeongjong of Joseon in 1535, and Princess Insun in 1542.

As the Crown Prince was the Queen's political protector for a long time, he later turned into a political enemy that she should get rid of for the future of her own son. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty tells the story of the Queen who threatened the Crown Prince to not to kill her brothers and her own son. Her hostility was not only because her ambition, but also from Yun Im's and late Kim An-ro's manipulation to get rid of the Queen.

Many in the Sarim faction believed that Injong was poisoned by Seongryeol as the late Queen’s son, King Injong’s reign, had lasted only 9 months.but there is no evidence that this was the case. According to unofficial chronicles, there is a tale of Seongryeol finally showing love for her "adoptive" son Injong, after decades of polite indifference (in reality behind-the-scenes hatred).

With politically indifferences and trying to receive the motherly love from his stepmother, it was speculated that Queen Munjeong had slowly poisoned her stepson, King Injong, by feeding him a tteok (rice cake). Which resulted him dying on 7 August 1545 thus giving the throne to her biological son, King Myeongjong of Joseon (King Injong's younger half-brother).

The chronicles also tell that Queen Dowager Seongryeol was frequently visited by spirits at night after Injong's death. As she was disturbed, she moved her residence from Gyeongbok Palace to Changdeok Palace.

Queen Munjeong eventually became Queen Regent throughout the reign of her son until she died twenty years later on 5 August 1565.

Family

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Parent

  • Father − Yun Yeo-Pil (윤여필; 尹汝弼; 1466–1555)
  • Mother − Internal Princess Consort Suncheon of the Suncheon Park clan (순천부부인 순천 박씨; 順天府夫人 順天 朴氏; 1470–1498)

Sibling

  • Older sister − Princess Papyeong of the Papyeong Yun clan (파평현부인 윤씨; 坡平縣夫人 尹氏; 1482 – 16 January 1536)
  • Older sister − Princess Consort Papyeong of the Papyeong Yun clan (파평군부인 윤씨; 坡平郡夫人 尹氏)
  • Older brother − Yun Im (윤임; 尹任; 26 July 1487 – 30 August 1545)
  • Older sister − Yun Cheon-deok (윤천덕; 尹千德), Lady Yun of the Papyeong Yun clan (1488–?)
  • Younger sister − Lady Yun (윤씨; 尹氏; 1498–?)
  • Younger half-sister − Yun Ok-chun (윤옥춘; 尹玉春; 1518–?)

Consort

Issue

  • Daughter − Yi Ok-ha, Princess Hyohye (효혜공주; 13 June 1511 – 6 May 1531). Husband: Kim Hui (김희; 1508–1531); son of Kim Ahn-ro (김안로; 金安老)
  • Son − Yi Ho, King Injong (조선 인종; 10 March 1515 – 7 August 1545). Wife: Queen Inseong of the Bannam Park clan (인성왕후 박씨; 7 October 1514 – 6 January 1578)
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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ In lunar calendar, the Queen was born on 6 July 1491 and died on 2 March 1515

References

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  1. ^ "중종실록 21권, 중종 10년 3월 7일 갑자 4번째기사" (in Korean).

Sources

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Queen Janggyeong (Joseon)
Papyeong Yun clan
Royal titles
Preceded by
Queen Dangyeong
of the Geochang Shin clan
 Queen consort of Joseon
1507–1515 		Succeeded by
Queen Munjeong
of the Papyeong Yun clan
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