Deposed Queen Shin


Queen Jeinwondeok, of the Geochang Shin clan, was the wife and queen consort of Yi Yung, King Yeonsan, the 10th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1494 until her husband's deposition in 1506, after which she was known as Deposed Queen Shin. She did not receive a further royal title posthumously.

Biography

Early life

Lady Shin was born into the Geochang Shin clan on 15 December 1476 to Shin Seung-seon and Princess Jungmo. Her mother was the daughter of King Sejong's fourth son, Grand Prince Imyeong. The grand prince was the younger brother of Prince Gwangpyeong, who served as Yeonguijeong during the reign of King Sejo. These two are uncles of Lady Sin. Accordingly Lady Shin was 7th cousins to her future husband.
As Lady Shin and her siblings came from a prestigious family, they had overlapping lineages and marriages with the royal family. She was the aunt of Queen Dangyeong, the first wife of King Jungjong, and was also the aunt of Nam Chi-won, husband of Princess Gyeongsun, the 5th daughter of King Seongjong.
Her older brother, Shin Su-geun, also married a first cousin of Queen Insu, as well as her third older brother, Shin Su-yeong, who married Queen Ansun's younger sister.

Marriage

In March 1487 it was arranged that Lady Shin would marry the Crown Prince. On 26 January 1488 the marriage ceremony was held at Injeong Hall in the palace Changdeokgung. Lady Shin became the Crown Princess of Joseon.
Lady Shin was granted the titles of Princess Consort Yeonsan and Princess Consort Geochang.

Life as princess consort

According to the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Shin was peaceful, respectful, gentle, virtuous and discreet.
In 1491 Princess Hwisin was born. In 1493 the princess consort participated in Chinjamrye that was hosted by Queen Jeonghyeon.
In 1494 the princess consort gave birth to a son who died a month later. In December of the same year, King Seongjong passed away and Prince Yeonsangun took the throne. The princess consort became the queen consort.

Life as queen consort

In 1497 under the supervision of the queen consort, approximately 160 citizens were invited to perform at the Seonjeon Hall in Changdeok Palace. In December of the same year, the queen consort gave birth to Crown Prince Hwang. In 1498, 1500, and 1503, Queen Shin gave special care to the elderly by offering to pay for their funerals.
In 1499, the Queen's 13-year-old niece, Lady Shin, married Grand Prince Jinseong, who was the son of King Seongjong and Queen Jeonghyeon. This niece in time became princess consort.
In 1502 the Queen's father, Shin Seung-seon, died and the queen consort was close giving birth. King Yeonsangun prevented his wife from attending her father's funeral as he wanted her birth to auspicious.
In 1504 King Yeonsangun ordered a purge following the death of his mother, Queen Jeheon. He executed the ministers and members of the royal family that were involved in her death. It was said that the King went to the quarters of his step-mother Queen Dowager Jasun and held her at sword point. He thereupon ordered the Queen Dowager to come out of her living quarters, but the queen consort intervened to protect her mother-in-law from her step-son.
A few days after this, the king organized another Chinjamrye, a ceremony where the Queen would show herself raising silk worms and collecting cocoons to promote sericulture. Geochang, the hometown of the queen, was promoted to a county during the reign of King Yeonsangun but was later relegated to Geochang-hyeon.
In 1505, Queen Shin was honoured with the title Queen Jeinwondeok.

Later life

When the Jungjong coup happened in 1506, King Yeonsan was demoted to a prince and sent into exile on Ganghwa Island. This led Queen Shin to lose her status as queen consort and she became known simply as a princess consort. Her sons were sentenced to death by poisoning immediately following the coup. The new king, Jungjong, was reluctant to enforce such punishment from court officials.
After she was deposed, Jungjong treated Queen Shin generously. Her servants did not leave her because of her good character.
Before dying that same year, the former king stated "I miss my wife, Lady Shin" on his deathbed.
In the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, it is said that Yeonsan cared for Lady Shin, or that he took care of her and her relatives. There are records that there were many children of the two of them. On the day of his sudden death, Lady Shin was the only person who was able to stop Yeonsangun from running amok, and Yeonsangun turned around without harming her.
In 1512 Queen Shin suggested that the tomb of her husband, Yeonsangun, be moved to Haechon, Yangju. This was permitted by King Jungjong.
In 1521, when the house of her family collapsed, due to heavy rain, King Jungjong gifted her the house of Ahn Cheo-gyeom.
The deposed Queen Shin outlived her husband by 31 years and died at the age of 60 on 16 May 1537. She is interred beside Yeonsan's. Her tombstone states her name as Princess Consort Geochang of the Geochang Shin clan.
Gu Eom held the ancestral rites for Queen Shin and King Yeonsangun. After Gu died, his adoptive grandson, Yi Ahn-nul, inherited the position.

Family

Parents
  • Father: Shin Seung-seon
  • Mother: Princess Jungmo, Internal Princess Consort Heungan of the Jeonju Yi clan
Sibling
  • Older brother: Shin Su-geun
  • Older brother: Shin Su-gyeom
  • Older brother: Shin Su-yeong
  • Older sister: Lady Shin of the Geochang Shin clan
  • Older sister: Lady Shin of the Geochang Shin clan
  • Older sister: Lady Shin of the Geochang Shin clan
Consort
Issue