Queen Inwon
Queen Inwon (24 October 1687 – 2 May 1757;[1] 인원왕후 김씨), of the Gyeongju Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and fourth queen consort of Yi Sun, King Sukjong, the 19th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1702 until her husband's death in 1720. She was honoured as Queen Dowager Hyesun (혜순왕대비) during the reign of her step-son Yi Yun, King Gyeongjong, and later as Grand Queen Dowager Hyesun (혜순대왕대비) during the reign of her adoptive son, Yi Geum, King Yeongjo.
Queen Inwon 인원왕후 仁元王后 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand queen dowager of Joseon | |||||
Tenure | 11 October 1724 – 13 May 1757 | ||||
Predecessor | Grand Queen Dowager Jaui | ||||
Successor | Grand Queen Dowager Yesun | ||||
Queen dowager of Joseon | |||||
Tenure | 12 July 1720 – 11 October 1724 | ||||
Predecessor | Queen Dowager Hyeonyeol | ||||
Successor | Queen Dowager Gyeongsun | ||||
Queen consort of Joseon | |||||
Tenure | 1702 – 12 July 1720 | ||||
Predecessor | Queen Inhyeon | ||||
Successor | Queen Seonui | ||||
Born | 24 October 1687 Yangjeongjae, Sunhwa District, Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon | ||||
Died | 2 May 1757 69) Yangmodang Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon | (aged||||
Burial | Myeongreung | ||||
Spouse | Yi Sun, King Sukjong | ||||
Issue | Yi Geum, King Yeongjo of Joseon (adopted) | ||||
| |||||
House | Gyeongju Kim | ||||
Father | Kim Ju-Shin | ||||
Mother | Internal Princess Consort Garim of the Imcheon Jo clan |
Biography
Early life
Born on 3 November 1687 during the thirteenth year of the reign of King Sukjong, the future queen was the second daughter of Kim Ju-shin, entitled as Internal Prince Gyeongeun (경은부원군), and his wife, Internal Princess Consort Garim (가림부부인) of the Imcheon Jo clan. She had one older sister, a younger sister, and two younger brothers.
Through her 3rd great-grandmother, Lady Kim is a 9th great-granddaughter of King Jeongjong and Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Pyeongchang Yi clan; through their son, Yi Jong-saeng, Prince Jinnam.
Marriage and palace life
The 15 year old Lady Kim married the 42 year old King Sukjong on 3 October 1702; following the death of Queen Inhyeon in September and the execution of Jang Hui-bin in November of 1701. Technically, she was Sukjong's fourth queen consort, but is officially recorded as the third queen consort of King Sukjong. Jang Ok-jeong was the actual third queen consort, but was ousted upon Queen Inhyeon's reinstatement.
There is no record of the young Queen and the King having children amongst them. But in 1703, she adopted Royal Noble Consort Suk’s son, Prince Yeoning, who despite being 9 years his senior, was known to be her favorite and whom she regarded as her own son.[2]
In her early years of marriage, it was recorded that the young Queen had suffered from measles, toothaches, boils, and smallpox. Which in 1711, she came down with smallpox prompting Choi Suk-bin to order the gungnyeo to go out of the palace and look for remedies among the commoners to save the Queen, who in the end survived.
Life as queen dowager
Following Sukjong's death in 1720, she was honoured as Queen Dowager Hyesun (혜순왕대비). Although her family was Soron, she changed her faction to Noron after Sukjong's death due to the political turmoil her adoptive son was dealing with within the palace.
King Gyeongjong suffered ill health and was unable to produce an heir—or to do much of anything for that matter. During his reign, the Noron and Soron factions battled for power. The Soron faction were the ruling political faction and supported Gyeongjong, and the Noron faction supported his half-brother, Prince Yeoning. The Noron faction and his step-mother, Queen Dowager Hyesun pressured him to appointed Prince Yeoning as his heir.
According to one theory, Queen Seonui opposed Prince Yeoning and planned secretly to adopt Prince Milpung, a great-grandson of Crown Prince Sohyeon, King Injo's first son. But two months after the King's enthronement, Prince Yeoning was installed as Crown Prince Successor (Wangseje, 왕세제, 王世弟).
Following the death of her step-son, King Gyeongjong, and the accession of her adoptive son, King Yeongjo, in 1724, she was honoured as Grand Queen Dowager Hyesun (혜순대왕대비).
It’s said that during her time in the palace, Queen Dowager Hyesun wrote 3 books: Syeongyun Yusa (션균유사), Syeonbi Yusa (션비유사), and Nyuk Ayukjang (뉵아육장).
Later life
During King Yeongjo’s reign, the Queen Dowager received filial piety from her adopted son and his wife, Queen Jeongseong.
On 3 April 1757, her adoptive daughter-in-law Queen Jeongseong had died at the age of 64 within Changdeok Palace.
A month later, the Queen Dowager later died on 13 May 1757 in the thirty-third year reign of King Yeongjo at Changdeok Palace, aged 69. She is buried in Myeongreung in Goyang city, Gyeonggi Province, near the tombs of King Sukjong and his second queen consort, Queen Inhyeon.
She was posthumously honored as Queen Inwon (인원왕후, 仁元王后).
King Yeongjo’s son, Crown Prince Sado, from Royal Consort Yeong, had been said to have grieved immensely; causing his mental illness to worsen. This was because the crown prince was close to his legal grandmother, Queen Inwon, and legal mother, Queen Jeongseong.
His actions eventually caused him to die in a rice chest in 1762; five years after the queen's death.
Family
Parent
- Father − Internal Prince Gyeongeun, Kim Ju-shin (경은부원군 김주신, 慶恩府院君 金柱臣) (1661 - 1721)
- 1) Grandfather − Kim Il-jin (김일진, 金一振)(1633 - 1665)
- 2) Great-Grandfather − Kim Nam-jung (김남중, 金南重) (1596 - 1663)[3][4]
- 3) Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Su-ryeom (김수렴, 金守廉) (1574 - 1651)
- 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Myeong-won (김명원, 金命元) (1534 - 13 December 1602)
- 5) Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Man-gyun (김만균, 金萬鈞)
- 6) Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Cheon-ryeong (김천령, 金千齡)
- 5) Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandmother − Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨); daughter of Ahn Jun-ui (안준의, 安尊義)
- 5) Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Man-gyun (김만균, 金萬鈞)
- 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandmother − Han Ui-guk (한의국, 韓儀國), Lady Han of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨) (1534 - ?)[5]
- 4) Great-Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Myeong-won (김명원, 金命元) (1534 - 13 December 1602)
- 3) Great-Great-Grandmother − Lady Seong of the Changnyeong Seong clan (정경부인 창녕 성씨, 貞敬夫人 昌寧 成氏) (1567 - 1648)
- 3) Great-Great-Grandfather − Kim Su-ryeom (김수렴, 金守廉) (1574 - 1651)
- 2) Great-Grandmother − Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (전주 이씨, 全州 李氏); Kim Nam-jung's second wife
- 2) Step Great-Grandmother − Lady Min of the Yeoheung Min clan (여흥 민씨); Kim Nam-jung's first wife
- 2) Great-Grandfather − Kim Nam-jung (김남중, 金南重) (1596 - 1663)[3][4]
- 1) Grandmother − Lady Jo the Pungyang Jo clan (증 정경부인 풍양 조씨, 孺人 贈 貞敬夫人 豊壤 趙氏) (1633–1685)
- 1) Grandfather − Kim Il-jin (김일진, 金一振)(1633 - 1665)
- Mother − Internal Princess Consort Garim of the Imcheon Jo clan (가림부부인 임천 조씨, 嘉林府夫人 林川 趙氏) (1660–1731)
- 1) Grandmother − Lady Yi of the Hansan Yi clan (한산 이씨, 韓山 李氏)
- 1) Grandfather − Jo Gyeong-chang (조경창, 趙景昌) (1634 - 1694)
Sibling
- Older sister − Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan
- Brother-in-law − Yi Deok-rin (이덕린, 李德鄰)[6]
- Younger sister − Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan (증 정부인 경주 김씨, 贈 貞夫人 慶州 金氏)
- Brother-in-law − Yun Myeon-gyu (윤면교, 尹勉敎) (1691 - 1766)
- Younger brother − Kim Hu-yeon (김후연, 金後衍) (1694 - 1735)
- Sister-in-law − Lady Yun of the Haepyeong Yun clan (해평 윤씨, 海平 尹氏); daughter of Yun Hang (윤항, 尹沆)
- Nephew - Kim Hyo-dae (김효대, 金孝大)
- Nephew - Kim Hyeong-dae (김형대, 金亨大)
- Sister-in-law − Lady Yun of the Haepyeong Yun clan (해평 윤씨, 海平 尹氏); daughter of Yun Hang (윤항, 尹沆)
- Younger brother − Kim Gu-yeon (김구연, 金九衍) (1699 - 1743); became the adoptive son of Kim Gae-shin (김개신, 金介臣)
- Sister-in-law − Lady Park of the Bannam Park clan (반남 박씨, 潘南 朴氏); daughter of Park Pil-gu (박필구, 朴弼耉)
- Younger half-brother − Kim Ga-yeon (김가연, 金可衍) (1703 - ?)[7]
- Half sister-in-law − Lady Seong of the Changnyeong Seong clan (창녕 성씨, 昌寧 成氏)
- Younger half-brother − Kim Nae-yeon (김내연, 金乃衍) (1708 - ?)[7]
- Half sister-in-law − Lady Gyeong of the Cheongju Gyeong clan (청주 경씨, 淸州 慶氏)
- Younger half-sister − Lady Kim of the Gyeongju Kim clan[7]
- Half brother-in-law − Gu Hong-jwa (구홍좌, 具弘佐) of the Neungseong Gu clan
Consort
- Husband − Yi Sun, King Sukjong (숙종대왕) (1661–1720)
- Father-in-law − Yi Yeon, King Hyeonjeong (현종대왕) (1641–1674)
- Mother-in-law − Queen Myeongseong of the Cheongpung Kim clan (명성왕후 김씨) (1642–1684)
- Sister-in-law − Princess Myeongseon (명선공주) (1659–1673)
- Sister-in-law − Princess Myeonghye (명혜공주) (1662–1673)
- Sister-in-law − Yi On-hui, Princess Myeongan (명안공주) (1665–1687)
Issue
- Adoptive son − Yi Geum, King Yeongjo (영조대왕) (1694–1776)
Full posthumous name
She was given the posthumous title
- Queen Inwon, Hyesun Jagyeong Heonryeol Gwangseon Hyeonik Kangseong Jeongdeok Suchang Yeongbok Yunghwa Hwijeong Jeongwoon Jeongui Jangmok Inwon Wanghu
- 혜순자경헌렬광선현익강성정덕수창영복융화휘정정운정의장목인원왕후
- 惠順慈敬獻烈光宣顯翼康聖貞德壽昌永福隆化徽精正運定懿章穆仁元王后.
In popular culture
- Portrayed by Kang Boo-ja in the 1988 MBC TV series 500 Years of Joseon: Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong.
- Portrayed by Kim Yong-rim in the 1998 MBC TV series The Great's King Road
- Portrayed by Oh Yeon-seo in the 2010 MBC TV series Dong Yi.[8]
- Portrayed by Kim Hae-sook in the 2015 film The Throne.
- Portrayed by Nam Ki-ae in the 2019 SBS TV series Haechi.
References
- In lunar calendar, the Queen was born on 29 September 1687 and died on 26 March 1757
- The Confucian Kingship in Korea: Yŏngjo and the Politics of Sagacity page, 53.
- His sister married Sim Dong-gwi (심동귀, 沈東龜) who was the 6th great-grandson of Sim On. Sim Dong-gwi’s father, Sim Jeon (심전, 沈銓; 1520 - 1589) was a first cousin once removed or second cousin of Queen Insun.
- From his sister’s marriage, Lady Kim became the sister-in-law to Lady Han of the Cheongju Han clan who was the granddaughter of Princess Uihye and great-granddaughter of King Jungjong. As well as an aunt-in-law to Park Hwan (박훤, 朴烜) of the Goryeong Park clan who eventually became the ascendant to Park Jeong-hui and Park Geun-hye.
- Daughter of Han Gwan (한관, 韓綰) and Yi Tae-im (이태임), Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan. Through Lady Yi, Lady Han is a maternal 4th great-granddaughter of King Jeongjong and Royal Consort Suk-ui of the Pyeongchang Yi clan, through their son Yi Jong-saeng, Prince Jinnam. (King Jeongjong —> Prince Jinnam —> Prince Jinrye —> Prince Baekseong —> Yi Seon —> Yi Tae-im —> Han Ui-guk)
- Was Mayor (시장, 郡守)
- Conceived by a commoner concubine (서모)
- Lee, Ga-on (7 May 2010). "Han Hyo-joo says she "hold fast" to her role in Dong Yi". 10Asia. Retrieved 3 February 2013.