Fujiwara no Seishi


Fujiwara no Seishi was the consort of Emperor Sanjō of Japan.

Biography

She was the first daughter of Fujiwara no Naritoki. Her father was the cousin of the regent Fujiwara no Michinaga.
She was arranged to marry the future Emperor one year after his succession. The Emperor already had an Empress, Fujiwara no Kenshi, who was the daughter of the regent Michinaga and cousin of Seishi. However, Fujiwara no Michinaga had introduced the custom of the Emperor having two Empresses: one called Chugu, and the other called Kogo. Fujiwara no Michinaga agreed for Fujiwara no Seishi to be given the title of Empress, but he demonstrated that Seishi was to have lower rank than his daughter in practice by making sure that virtually no one attended the ceremony in which Seishi was made Empress. When the courtiers were summoned to the elevation ceremony of the second Empress, they laughed at the messengers and gathered at the apartments of the Empress Kenshi instead.
Empress Seishi was reportedly well liked by the Emperor, but she was overshadowed at court by Empress Kenshi, and never managed to exert any influence. She became a nun in 1019, one year after her husband's abdication.

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