Queen Gonghye

Han Song-yi (Hangul: 한송이, Hanja: 韓松伊) (8 November 1456 – 30 April 1474), of the Cheongju Han clan, was the wife and first queen consort of Yi Hyeol, King Seongjong, the 9th Joseon monarch. She was Queen consort of Joseon from 1469 until her death in 1474. She was posthumously honoured with the title Queen Gonghye.

Queen Gonghye
공혜왕후
Queen consort of Joseon
Tenure1469 – 1474
Born8 November 1456
Yeonhwabang, Kingdom of Joseon
Died30 April 1474 (1474-05-01) (aged 17)
Guhyeon Hall, Changdeok Palace, Hanseong, Kingdom of Joseon
SpouseYi Hyeol, King Seongjong
Posthumous name
휘의신숙공혜왕후
HouseCheongju Han
FatherHan Myeong-Hoe
MotherLady Hwangryeo of the Yeoheung Min clan

Life

Han Song-yi was born on 8 November 1456 into the Cheongju Han clan to Han Myeong-hoe and his wife, Lady Min of the Yeoheung Min clan, as their youngest child. Through her mother, Han Song-yi is a first cousin of Queen Jeongsun, and her maternal grandfather is the maternal uncle of Queen Jeongsun.

In 1460, when her third older sister, Han Naeng-yi, was 15 years old, she married to Yi Hwang, the Crown Prince and became crown princess consort. However on 1461, she died a few days later due to postpartum illness and posthumously honoured as Queen Jangsun

When Han Song-yi was 10 years old, she was arranged to marry Yi Hyeol, Grand Prince Jalsan, Crown Prince Uigyeong’s and Crown Princess Consort Su’s youngest son, on 12 January 1467. As the grand prince’s wife, her royal title became “Princess Consort Cheonan” (Hangul: 천안군부인), and her parents received royal titles as well. Her mother received the royal title of “Lady Hwangryeo of the Yeoheung Min clan” (황려부부인 여흥 민씨, 黃驪府夫人 驪興 閔氏), and her father received the royal title of “Internal Prince Sangdang” (상당부원군, 上黨府院君).

It was said that King Sejo, Jalsan's grandfather, intended to have Han Song-yi be a concubine for Jalsan, but in reality, Crown Princess Consort Su, the biological mother of Jalsan, had went out with her son and had seen her through a window of Heo Gye-ji’s (허계지, 許繼智) house, and sought to make Han Song-yi her daughter-in-law.

With her father’s influence, Jalsan became the 9th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty in 1469 (later honoured as King Seongjong), which then changed her status from princess consort to queen consort. Her mother-in-law, now honoured as Queen Insu, was strict with her but she taught the young queen thoroughly in accordance with Confucian ethics, such as having her daughter-in-law read the story of the incumbent women in China.

When the Queen couldn’t have children, King Seongjong had started to bring in concubines for a royal heir. Without despising the concubines, the Queen prepared and presented the clothes to them.

In 1473, the Queen moved from the palace to her hometown because of her illness to which King Seongjong made sure to visit her to check her condition. After days passed, the Queen recovered and moved back into the palace, but within the last months of the same year, her illness reappeared again. As her illness didn’t seem to be recovering, the Queen requested to move her residence to Changdeok Palace, and the three queens dowager (Jaseong, Insu, and Inhye), as well the King, took care of her as she tried to recover back to full health. When the Queen’s parents heard of their youngest daughter’s illness, they were granted to also take care of her by King Seongjong, but the queen’s sickness didn’t seem to go away.

The Queen’s parents did not eat as their child was in bad health, but she urged them to eat as they have been starving for days while taking care of her. After doing so, she died a couple of days later in Changdeok Palace’s Guhyeon Hall at the age of 17 on the 30 April 1474.

For her posthumous title, Seongjong used “Gong” (Hangul: 공, Hanja: 恭) on praising and docilely serving her in-law’s, and used “Hye” (Hangul: 혜, Hanja: 惠) for her generosity, tenderness, and kindness; becoming Queen Gonghye (Hangul: 공혜왕후, Hanja: 恭惠王后).

Her Neungho was called Sunhon (Hangul: 순혼, Hanja: 順魂), and later became Sunneung. The Jeonho was set as Sogyeongjeon (昭敬殿). In the 4th reign of King Yeonsangun (1498), her title was posthumously added and honored with Hwiuishinsuk (徽懿愼肅). The Queen's deity is enshrined in Jongmyo's main hall. Her tomb is located in Paju Samneung, Bongilcheon-ri, Jori-eup, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Titles
  • 8 November 1456 - 12 January 1467: Han Song-yi, daughter of Han Myeong-hoe, of the Cheongju Han clan
  • 12 January 1467 - 1469: Princess Consort Cheonan (천안군부인)
  • 1469 - 30 April 1474: The Queen Consort
  • Posthumous title: Queen Gonghye (공혜왕후, 恭惠王后)

Family

Parent

  • Father − Han Myeong-hoe (26 November 1415 – 28 November 1487) (한명회)
  • Uncle − Han Myeong-jin (한명진, 韓明溍) (1426 - 1454). Wife: Lady Kwon of the Goryeong Kwon (고령 권씨, 安東 權氏)
    • a) Grandfather − Han Gi (1393 – 1429) (한기, 韓起)
      • b) Great-Grandfather − Han Sang-jil (한상질, 韓尙質) (1350 - 1400)
        • c) Great-Great-Grandfather − Han Soo (한수, 韓脩) (1333 - 1384)
        • c) Great-Great-Grandmother − Lady Kwon of the Andong Kwon clan (안동 권씨, 安東 權氏)
      • b) Great-Grandmother − Lady Song of the Cheongpung Song clan (청풍 송씨, 昌化夫人 淸風 宋氏); Han Sang-jil’s second wife
    • a) Grandmother − Lady Lee of the Yeoju Lee clan (증 정경부인 여주 이씨, 贈 貞敬夫人 驪州李氏)
  • Mother − Lady Hwangryeo of the Yeoheung Min clan (? – 1479) (황려부부인 여흥 민씨, 黃驪府夫人 驪興 閔氏)[1]
    • a) Grandfather − Min Dae-Saeng (1372 – 1467) (민대생, 閔大生)[2]
    • a) Grandmother − Lady Heo of the Yangcheon Heo clan (양천 허씨, 陽川 許氏)

Sibling

  • Older sister − Lady Han of the Cheongju Han clan. Husband: Shin Ju (신주, 申澍) of the Goryeong Shin clan (고령 신씨, 高靈 申氏)
    • Nephew − Shin Jong-ho (신종호, 申從濩) (1456 - 1497)
      • Grandnephew − Shin Hang (신항, 申沆) (1477 - 1507). Wife: Princess Hyesuk (혜숙옹주, 惠淑翁主) (1478 - ?); King Seongjong’s eldest daughter
  • Older sister − Lady Han of the Cheongju Han clan. Husband: Yun Ban (윤반, 尹磻) of the Papyeong Yun clan (파평 윤씨, 坡平 尹氏)[3][4]
  • Older sister − Han Naeng-yi (한냉이), Queen Jangsun of the Cheongju Han clan (장순왕후 한씨, 章順王后 韓氏) (22 February 1445 - 5 January 1462). Husband: King Yejong (예종, 睿宗) (14 January 1450 - 31 January 1469)
    • Nephew − Yi Bun, Grand Prince Inseong (인성대군 이분, 仁城大君 李糞) (31 December 1461 - 4 December 1463)
  • Older brother: Han Bo (한보, 韓堡) (1447 - 1522). Wife: Lady Yi of the Hansan Yi clan
    • Nephew − Han Gyeong-gi (한경기, 韓景琦) (1472 - 1529). Wives: (a) Lady Yi of the Jeonju Yi clan (전주 이씨, 淑人 全州 李氏) (b) Lady Kim of the Yeonyang Kim clan (언양 김씨, 淑人 彦陽 金氏))
    • Nephew − Han Gyeong-chim (한경침, 韓景琛) (1482 - ?). Wife: Princess Gongshin (공신옹주, 恭愼翁主) (1481 - 1549); King Seongjong’s third daughter

Consort

  • Husband − Yi Hyeol, King Seongjong (20 August 1457 – 20 January 1494) (조선 성종)
    • Father-in-law − Crown Prince Uigyeong, posthumously honoured as King Deokjong (덕종대왕, 德宗大王) (3 October 1438 - 20 September 1457)
    • Mother-in-law − Queen Insu, posthumously honoured as Queen Sohye, of the Cheongju Han clan (소혜왕후 한씨, 昭惠王后 韓氏) (7 October 1437 - 11 May 1504)
    • Legal father-in-law − King Yejong (예종대왕, 睿宗大王) (1450 - 1469)
    • Legal mother-in-law − Queen Jangsun of the Cheongju Han clan (장순왕후 한씨, 章順王后 韓氏) (1445 - 1461)

References
  1. Lady Min is the cousin of Queen Jeongsun’s mother
  2. His is the maternal uncle of Queen Jeongsun
  3. Yun Ban is a first cousin once removed of Queen Jeonghyeon
  4. He is the son of Princess Jeonghyeon and the grandson of King Sejong
  • 공혜왕후 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.
Queen Gonghye
Cheongju Han clan
Royal titles
Preceded by
Queen Ansun
of the Cheongju Han		 Queen consort of Joseon
1469 – 1474		 Succeeded by
Queen Jeheon
of the Haman Yun clan
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