List of Chinese empresses and queens


The following is a list of empresses and queens consort of China, who formed the highest tier of the imperial Chinese harem system. China has periodically been divided into kingdoms as well as united under empires, resulting in consorts titled both queen and empress. The empress title could also be given posthumously, as to the mothers and grandmothers of the founders of dynasties.

Empresses and queens

The title of empress could also be given posthumously. The posthumous empresses are listed separately by the year they were given the title.

Huan Chu dynasty (403–404)

[Sixteen Kingdoms] period (304–439)

[Northern Liang] (397–439)


Later Qin

Western Qin

Former Yan

Later Yan

Northern Yan

Southern Yan

Xia

Northern and Southern dynasties

Liu Song

Southern Qi

Northern Wei

Western Wei

Eastern Wei

Northern Qi

Liang dynasty

Chen dynasty

Northern Zhou

Sui dynasty

Tang dynasty

;Qin
;Han
  • Empress Ju
;Xia
;Yan
;Qi

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period

Qi

Former Shu

Yan

Later Liang

Southern Han

Later Tang

Wu

Min

Southern Tang

Later Jin

Yin

Later Han

Later Zhou

Northern Han

Song dynasty

Yuan dynasty

Ming dynasty

Southern Ming

Empresses dowager

The title of Empress dowager was automatically given to a former Empress consort and widow of an Emperor. The title, Empress dowager, could be granted a widow of an Emperor even when she had not been the Empress consort during the reign of her spouse. Therefore, a separate list is given of the Empresses dowager, which, in some cases, equals the list of Empresses consort, and in other cases, not.

Han dynasty

Northern Dynasties

Northern Wei

Tang dynasty

Song dynasty

Yuan dynasty

Ming dynasty

Qing dynasty

Empresses whose titles were granted posthumously

Sui dynasty

Tang dynasty

Song dynasty

Yuan dynasty

Ming dynasty and Southern Ming dynasty

Qing dynasty