Queen Wondeok

For other uses, see Princess Yeondeok.

Queen Wondeok of the Yu clan (Korean: 원덕왕후 유씨; Hanja: 元德王后 柳氏; d. 1239) was a Goryeo royal family member as the descendant of King Munjong. She became queen consort through her marriage to her cousin once removed, King Gangjong, becoming his second wife^[6] She then changed her initial clan and became the mother of his only successor, King Gojong. Gangjong was her close relative in the maternal line, but very distant in the paternal line.

Queen Wondeok 원덕왕후
Crown Princess of Goryeo
Tenure	1175–1197
Coronation	1175
Predecessor	Deposed Crown Princess Yi
Successor	Deposed Crown Princess Wang
Queen consort of Goryeo
Tenure	1212–1213
Coronation	1212
Predecessor	Queen Seongpyeong
Successor	Queen Anhye
Queen dowager of Goryeo
Tenure	1213–1239
Coronation	1213
Predecessor	Queen Dowager Jeongseon
Successor	Queen Dowager Myeongdeok
Monarch	King Gojong (son)
Born	c.1167 Goryeo
Died	1239 (aged about 72/3) Goryeo
Burial	Golleung tomb[1][2] San 75, Giljeong-ri, Yangdo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon[3]
Spouse	Gangjong of Goryeo ​ ​ (m. 1175; died 1213)​
Issue	Gojong of Goryeo
Regnal name Princess Yeondeok (연덕궁주, 延德宮主; given in 1212) Queen Mother Wondeok (원덕태후, 元德太后) Grand Queen Mother Wondeok (원덕왕태후, 元德王太后) Posthumous name Queen Mother Jeonggang Wondeok[4] 정강원덕태후 (貞康元德太后)
House	Yu (official) Wang (agnatic and by marriage)
Father	Wang Sŏng, Marquess Sinan
Mother	Princess Changrak[5]

At one time, she was the second-in-command in the inner list of the main palace, but was dethroned and came back as a queen consort and queen dowager (first-in-command). Due to the war, her husband was exiled and they hid in Ganghwa Island. She is recognised for her dynamic life.

Biography

Her father-in-law, King Myeongjong was her mother's brother. So, both she and her husband were first cousins and related by blood to King Sukjong and Queen Myeongui.^[7]

Marriage

She married Crown Prince Wang O in 1175, a year after his first wife's removal, becoming his second wife. In 1192, after 17 years of marriage, they had a son, Wang Jin (the future Gojong, King Anhyo the Great).^[8]

However, in 1197, her father-in-law, King Myeongjong was deposed and imprisoned in Changrak Palace by Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn and Choe Chung-su. As a result, her husband, as prince, was also dethroned, and she accompanied him in exile to Ganghwa Island. Myeongjong's throne went to his youngest brother, the 53-year-old Wang T'ak. After Wang-Tak's death, the throne was passed to his son, Wang Yŏng.

Life as Queen consort

In 1212, 14 years after their initial exile, her 60-year-old husband ascended the throne, after Huijong was defeated by the two Choe brothers. She formally became Queen Consort and was given the royal title of Princess Yeondeok (연덕궁주; 延德宮主), and once again resided in the palace of Manwoldae.

It seems that she raised Princess Suryeong, the daughter from her husband's marriage to his first wife. When Princess Suryeong married, she dedicated a tribute to Yeondeok, thanking her for her care.

The Queen was said to have virtue and beauty. One year later, her husband fell ill and died.

Life as Queen mother

Her husband was succeeded by their only son, to which she later became a queen dowager (태후; 太后).^[9] Although the date she formally became a queen dowager was unknown, but in 1215, both she and King Gojong stayed in Western Cheongju Palace (청주동궁; 淸州洞宮) for a while. From this time, she was called as Grand Queen Mother (왕태후; 王太后)^[10] but in 1216, her mother died. In order to mourn his maternal grandmother, Gojong was said to wore a So-bok (소복) for three days after her death.

In 1218, her son married one of his relative and one year later, their eldest son and child, Wang Jeon was born. In 1220, her brother, Marquess Yeongin died. In 1232, she left Sangdo (상도; 上都) and moved to Gangdo (강도; 江都) while her daughter-in-law died in the same year. Three years later, Wang Jeon married and in 1236, his eldest son, Wang Sim was born.

Later life and death

Meanwhile, the queen mother was later died on her 72/3 years old in 1239 after life alone for more than 20 years, which she became the most longest-living Goryeo queen. She then buried in Golleung Tomb (곤릉; 坤陵) which nowadays became the "Historic Site No. 371".^[11] Also received her posthumous name of Jeonggang (정강; 靖康) under Gojong's command in 1253.^[6][12]

Ancestors

Ancestors of Queen Wondeok

Wang Yŏng, Duke Nakrang 왕영 낙랑공 Wang Chŏng, Count Seunghwa 왕정 승화백 Princess Boryeong 보령궁주 Wang Ki, Count Hannam 왕기 한남백 King Myeonghyo the Great 명효대왕 Princess Heungsu 흥수공주 Queen Myeongui 명의왕후 Wang Sŏng, Marquess Sinan 왕성 신안후 King Myeonghyo the Great 명효대왕 King Munhyo the Great 문효대왕 Queen Myeongui 명의왕후 Princess Seungdeok 승덕궁주 Yi Cha-gyŏm 이자겸 Queen Sundeok 순덕왕후 Grand Lady of Byeonhan State 변한국대부인 Queen Wondeok 원덕왕후 King Myeonghyo the Great 명효대왕 King Munhyo the Great 문효대왕 Queen Myeongui 명의왕후 King Gonghyo the Great 공효대왕 Yi Cha-gyŏm 이자겸 Queen Sundeok 순덕왕후 Grand Lady of Byeonhan State 변한국대부인 Princess Changrak 창락궁주 Im Ŭi 임의 Im Won-hu 임원후 Lady of Nakrang County 낙랑군부인 Queen Gongye 공예왕후 Yi Wi 이위 Grand Lady of Jinhan State 진한국대부인

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Jo Yang-ja in the 2003–2004 KBS TV series Age of Warriors.

References

1. One of the four Goryeo Royal Tombs who left in South Korea, along with:

   • Hongneung Tomb (홍릉, 洪陵) – her son, King Gojong's tomb.
   • Seokneung Tomb (석릉, 碩陵) – her first cousin-in-law, King Huijong's tomb.
   • Gareung Tomb (가릉, 嘉陵) – her granddaughter-in-law, Queen Mother Sungyeong's tomb.
2. "문화부, 경기도 강화군 '비능'등 4건 문화재 사적 지정". The Korea Economic Daily Ilbo (in Korean). 10 March 1992. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
3. "Document". www.museum.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-05-01.
4. 韓國女性關係資料集: 中世篇(中) [Collection of Korean Women's Relations: Middle Ages (Part 2)] (in Korean). Ewha Womans University Women's Research Center: Ewha Womans University Press. 1985. p. 41. ISBN 9788973000432.
5. "고려시대 史料 Database". Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved October 5, 2021.
6. "고려시대 史料 Database". Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved October 5, 2021.
7. Lee, Sang-gak (2014). 고려사 - 열정과 자존의 오백년 - Volume 1 [History of Goryeo - Biographies and Self Esteem 500 Years - Volume 1] (in Korean). Deullyeok. ISBN 9791159250248.
8. "고종 총서". Goryeosa (in Korean). Retrieved October 5, 2021.
9. There were no any records of when she became a queen dowager in History of Goryeo.
10. In October 1223, Gojong raised "Empress Dowager" (황태후) to "Grand Empress Dowager" (태황태후). But, who held this title were unknown since he not made it more specify. It must be Queen Mother Jeongseon, the widowed queen of King Sinjong who died a year ago or Wondeok, who was still alive at this time. If true, Queen Wondeok was the first woman in Goryeo history who became and held the title of "Grand Empress Dowager".
11. "[인천의 문화유산] 사적 371호 강화 곤릉". Kyunggi Ilbo (in Korean). 4 April 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
12. "[한국여성인물사전] 110.원덕태후(元德太后)".

External links

• Queen Wondeok on the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean).
• 원덕태후 on Doosan Encyclopedia (in Korean).