Empress dowager
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Empress dowager (also
The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of grand empress dowager (Chinese and Japanese: 太皇太后; pinyin: tàihúangtàihòu; rōmaji: Taikōtaigō; Korean: 태황태후 (太皇太后); romaja: Tae Hwang Tae Hu; Vietnamese: Thái Hoàng Thái Hậu (太皇太后)). An empress dowager wielded absolute power over the harem and imperial family and sometimes even for important issues that were necessary, the emperor or officials went to empress dowager to consult. Empress Dowager's position was second after the emperor, but she was ahead of him in respect, because the emperor lowered his head in front of her to show his respect and stood in front of her with respect and politeness, even was precise in the way he spoke and faced her. Numerous empress dowagers held regency during the reign of underage emperors. Many of the most prominent empress dowagers also extended their control for long periods after the emperor was old enough to govern. This was a source of political turmoil according to the traditional view of Chinese history.
The title dowager empress was given to the wife of a deceased
By country
For grand empresses dowager, visit grand empress dowager.
East Asia
Chinese empresses dowager
- Empress Dowager Lü (241–180 BC), empress consort of Emperor Gaozu of Han(256-195 BC, r. 202-195 BC)
- Empress Dowager Dou
- Empress Dowager Wang
- Empress Dowager Deng
- Empress Dowager Liang (116–150), empress to Emperor Shun of Han(115–144, r. 125–144)
- Empress Dowager He (d. 189), second empress consort of Emperor Ling of Han (156–189, r. 168–189)
- Empress Wenming (217–268), wife of Sima Zhao (211–265)
- Empress Dowager Feng, empress consort of Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei (440–465, r. 452–465)
- Emperor Xuanwu(483–515, r. 499–515)
- Emperor Wu of Liu Song(363–422, r. 420–422)
- Empress Dowager Wu, more commonly known as Wu Zetian
- Empress Dowager Xiao
- Empress Dowager He
- Empress Dowager Xiao (d. 951?), concubine of Yelü Bei
- Empress Dowager Chengtian
- Emperor Shengzong
- Emperor Lizong of Song
- Toghon Temur
- Later Jin dynasty (r. 1626–1636) and first Emperor of the Qin dynasty(r. 1636–1643)
- Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (1613–1688), consort of Hong Taiji
- Empress Dowager Renxian(1641–1718)
- Empress Dowager Cihe
- Empress Dowager Chongqing
- Empress Dowager Ci'an
- Empress Dowager Cixi, de facto ruler of the Qing dynasty for 40 years
- Empress Dowager Longyu (1868–1913), wife and empress consort of Zaitian, the Guangxu Emperor, abdicated on behalf of Puyi
Japanese empress dowager
In the complex organization of the Japanese Imperial Court, the title of "empress dowager" does not automatically devolve to the principal consort of an
The following were among the individuals who were granted this imperial title:
- Empress Dowager Eishō (英照皇太后, Eishō kōtaigō, 1834–1898),[2] widow of Emperor Kōmei
- Empress Dowager Teimei (貞明皇后, Teimei kōtaigō, 1884–1951),[4] widow of Emperor Taishō
- Emperor Shōwa
Korean empress dowager
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- Empress dowager Myeongheon (1831–1903), wife and widow of Heonjong of Joseon.
Europe
Holy Roman dowager empresses
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Eleonora Gonzaga, wife to Emperor Ferdinand III, was empress dowager from 1657–1686.[5]
Although never referred to as a dowager, Empress Matilda was controversially the Holy Roman Empress and continued to be referred to as "empress" long after the death of her first husband Henry V, and her subsequent remarriage.
Despite having abandoned the throne of Sicily for her son Frederick II, Empress Constance widow of Henry VI retained her title as empress dowager till her death.
Russian dowager empresses
Dowager empresses of Russia held precedence over the empress consort. This was occasionally a source of tension. For example, when Paul I was assassinated, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg), for whom this tradition was started, often took the arm of her son Tsar Alexander I at court functions and ceremonies while his wife Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden) walked behind, which caused resentment on the part of the young empress. The same thing happened decades later when Emperor
There have been four dowager empresses in Russia:
- Empress Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg) (1759–1828) Empress Consort of Paul I of Russia (r. 1796–1801)
- Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna (Louise of Baden) (1779–1826) Empress Consort of Alexander I of Russia (r. 1801–1825)
- Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia) (1798–1860) Empress Consort of Nicholas I of Russia (r. 1825–1855)
- Empress Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark) (1847–1928) Empress Consort of Alexander III of Russia (r. 1881–1894)
Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna was briefly and concurrently, along with her mother in-law Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, a Dowager empress. She is therefore often forgotten as an Dowager Empress.
South Asia
Indian empresses dowager
- King-Emperor Edward VII(r. 1901–1910)
- King-Emperor George V(r. 1910–1936)
- King-Emperor George VI (r. 1936–1947[a])
Southeast Asia
Vietnamese empresses dowager
- Empress Dowager Dương Vân Nga (952–1000): In 979, her husband Emperor Đinh Bộ Lĩnh died after an assassination, her son Prince Đinh Toàn ascended to the throne, she became empress dowager and handled all political matters. But later she dethroned her son and ceded the throne to Lê Đại Hành and married him. Once again she took the title of empress consort. Because she was an empress twice with two different emperors, she is called "Hoàng hậu hai triều" (Two-dynasty Empress).[6]
- Empress Dowager Thượng Dương (?–1073): While she could not give birth to any sons, her husband's concubine Lady Ỷ Lan gave birth to a prince, called Lý Càn Đức. After husband's death, she became empress dowager and declared that she will "buông rèm nhiếp chính" (regent) for the new seven-year-old emperor, but the mother of the new emperor Lady Dowager Ỷ Lan vehemently opposed and forced her to the death. Her tenure of being an empress dowager is one year.
- Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan (c. 1044–1117): After dethroning and killing the empress dowager, she became empress dowager and kept all political powers
- Empress Dowager Chiêu Linh (?–1200): Empress of Emperor Lý Thần Tông. Her son was appointed as crown prince, but later he was dethroned from the seat of crown prince to a normal prince due to an event. Her husband's concubine Lady Đỗ Thụy Châu gave birth to a prince and he was appointed as crown prince later. After her husband's death, the crown prince ascended to the throne, she became empress dowager.
- Empress Dowager Đỗ Thụy Châu: After her son ascended to the throne, she became the co-empress dowager with Empress Dowager Chiêu Linh.
- Empress Dowager An Toàn (?–1226): She was famous for misusing authority during the reign of her son Emperor Lý Huệ Tông. Her daughter-in-law, Empress Trần Thị Dung joined Trần Thủ Độ plotting to overthrow the Lý dynasty and replace by Trần dynasty. Trần Thủ Độ forced her son to abdicate and be a monk at the pagoda, her son did as Trần Thủ Độ told and ceded the throne to her granddaughter Lý Chiêu Hoàng, who is the only empress of Vietnamese history, thus, she became grand empress dowager. But later Trần Thủ Độ forced Lý Chiêu Hoàng to get married with his seven-year-old nephew Trần Cảnh and ceded the throne to Trần Cảnh. At that point, An Toàn was no longer an empress dowager.
- Empress Dowager Trần Thị Dung (?–1259): She became empress dowager after her daughter Lý Chiêu Hoàng ascended to the throne. But later, Lý Chiêu Hoàng ceded the throne to her husband Trần Cảnh. Trần Thị Dung was no longer empress dowager.
- Empress Dowager Tuyên Từ (?–1318): A concubine and younger sister-in-law of Emperor Trần Nhân Tông, she is younger sister of the proper Empress Bảo Thánh. In 1293, Emperor Trần Nhân Tông ceded the throne to his son with Empress Bảo Thánh, Trần Anh Tông, some months later her sister Grand Empress Bảo Thánh died, she became the only surviving consort of Grand Emperor Trần Nhân Tông. 1308, Grand Emperor Trần Nhân Tông died, she became empress dowager. 1314, Emperor Trần Anh Tông ceded the throne to his son Trần Minh Tông, she became grand empress dowager.
- Empress Dowager Từ Dụ (1810–1902),born Phạm Thị Hằng, was a Vietnamese empress, the wife of Emperor Thiệu Trị (1807–1847, r. 1841–1847) and mother of Emperor Tự Đức.
- Empress Dowager Từ Cung (1890–1980), mother of the last Vietnamese Emperor Bảo Đại.[7]
See also
- Consort kin
- Grand empress dowager
- Queen dowager and queen mother
- Valide sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Notes
References
Citations
- ^ Ponsonby-Fane (1959), pp. 333–334.
- ^ Ponsonby-Fane (1959), pp. 334–335.
- ^ Ponsonby-Fane (1959), pp. 335–337.
- ^ Ponsonby-Fane (1959), pp. 337–338.
- ^ "Souborný katalog AV ČR - Zápas o funkci nejvyššího štolmistra na dvoře císařovny vdovy Eleonory Gonzagové : Edice důvěrné korespondence bratří Ditrichštejnů z roku 1683 = Struggle for the stallmeister's position on the court of the empress dowager Eleonora Gonzaga. : Edition of private correspondence between the Dietrichstein brothers dated 1683 / Jiří Kubeš". www.lib.cas.cz. Archived from the original on 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
- ^ VnExpress. "Chuyện về 'hoàng hậu hai triều' Dương Vân Nga - VnExpress".
- ^ "Vietnampackagetour.com". vietnampackagetour.com.
Works cited
- Books
- Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon (1959). The Imperial House of Japan. Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. OCLC 194887.