Queen Jangnyeol


Queen Jangryeol, of the Yangju Jo clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Jong, King Injo, the 16th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1638 until her husband's death in 1649, after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Jaui during the reign of her step-son Yi Ho, King Hyojong, and as Grand Queen Dowager Jaui during the reign of her step grandson Yi Yeon, King Hyeonjong and her step great-grandson Yi Sun, King Sukjong.

Biography

The future queen was born on 6 December 1624 during the reign King Injo. Her father, Jo Chang-won, was member of the Yangju Jo clan, and her mother was member of the Jeonju Choi clan. Although her aunt, older sisters and cousins have personal names, there is information yet to be found regarding the Queen's name from historical records.
Three years after his first wife Queen Inyeol's death, Injo selected the fourteen-year old daughter of Jo Chang-won as new queen consort in November 1638. The King was 44 years old, and his two sons, Crown Prince Sohyeon and Grand Prince Bongrim, were 12 and 5 years her senior.
The Queen's relationship with Injo was not good due to the fact that she could not bear a son, and because the King's concubine, Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Okcheon Jo clan, had succeeded in having Injo to hate her. Thus she left the main palace, Changdeokgung, in 1645 to live in Gyeongdeok Palace.
After Injo's death, she was elevated to the rank of queen dowager and formally addressed as Queen Dowager Jaui. Disputes happened during the death of her stepson, Hyojong, and his wife, Queen Inseon, where the factions argued on the duration in which Jaui would have to wear the mourning attire called sangbok. The incident was known as Yesong Dispute : for Hyojong's funeral, it became an issue to determine whether the dowager should be mourning for three years or one year, while for Queen Dowager Hyosuk, either one year or nine months.
When Hyeonjong became the king in 1659, Jaui officially became grand queen dowager. She led a solitary life until her death at the age of 64 on 10 December 1688 during Sukjong's reign after living 50 years of her life as a woman of the royal palace.
Her tomb is located in Hwineung, Donggurneung, which is located within the city of Guri in Gyeonggi Province.

Family

Parent
  • Father − Jo Chang-won
  • Mother − Internal Princess Consort Wansan of the Jeonju Choi clan
Sibling
  • Older sister − Jo Su-im, Lady Jo of the Yangju Jo clan
  • Older brother − Jo Yun-seok
  • Older sister − Jo Jong-im, Lady Jo of the Yangju Jo clan
Consort
Issue

In popular culture