Queen Jangnyeol

Queen Jangryeol (Korean: 장렬왕후 조씨; 6 December 1624 – 10 September 1688), 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 (자의왕대비) during the reign of her step-son Yi Ho, King Hyojong, and as Grand Queen Dowager Jaui (자의대왕대비) during the reign of her step grandson Yi Yeon, King Hyeonjong and her step great-grandson Yi Sun, King Sukjong.

Queen Jangryeol 장렬왕후 莊烈王后
Grand Queen Dowager of Joseon
Tenure	13 June 1659 – 10 September 1688
Predecessor	Grand Queen Dowager Soseong
Successor	Grand Queen Dowager Hyesun
Queen Dowager of Joseon
Tenure	7 June 1649 – 13 June 1659
Predecessor	Queen Dowager Soseong
Successor	Queen Dowager Hyosuk
Queen Consort of Joseon
Tenure	November 1638 – 7 June 1649
Predecessor	Queen Inyeol
Successor	Queen Inseon
Born	6 December 1624 Gwan-ah, Jiksa-hyeon, Chungcheong Province, Joseon
Died	10 September 1688 (1688-09-11) (aged 63) Naebanwon, Changgyeonggung, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial	Hwireung, Donggureung 197, Guri, Gyeonggi Province
Spouse	Yi Jong, King Injo (m.1638–d.1649)
Posthumous name 자의공신휘헌강인숙목정숙온혜장렬왕후 慈懿恭慎徽獻康仁淑穆貞肅溫惠莊烈王后
House	Yangju Jo (by birth) Jeonju Yi (by marriage)
Father	Jo Chang-won
Mother	Internal Princess Consort Wansan of the Jeonju Choi clan
Korean name
Hangul	장렬왕후
Hanja	莊烈王后
Revised Romanization	Jangryeol wanghu
McCune–Reischauer	Changryŏl wanghu

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 (now known as Gyeonghuigung).

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 (예송논쟁): 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 (조창원; 趙昌遠; 1583–1646)
• Mother − Internal Princess Consort Wansan of the Jeonju Choi clan (완산부부인 전주 최씨; 完山府夫人 全州 崔氏; 1583–1663)

Sibling

• Older sister − Jo Su-im (조수임; 趙壽任), Lady Jo of the Yangju Jo clan (양주 조씨; 楊州 趙氏; 1607–?)
• Older brother − Jo Yun-seok (조윤석; 趙胤錫; 1615–1664)
• Older sister − Jo Jong-im (조종임; 趙終任), Lady Jo of the Yangju Jo clan (양주 조씨; 楊州 趙氏; 1623–?)

Consort

• Yi Jong, King Injo (인조; 7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649) — No issue.
  • Mother-in-law - Queen Inheon of the Neungseong Gu clan (인헌왕후 구씨; 17 April 1578 – 14 January 1626)
  • Father-in-law - Wonjong of Joseon (조선 원종; 2 August 1580 – 29 December 1619)

Issue

• Adoptive son − Yi Wang, Crown Prince Sohyeon (소현세자 왕; 昭顯世子 汪; 5 February 1612 – 22 May 1645)
• Adoptive son − King Hyojong (효종; 3 July 1619 – 23 June 1659)

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Kang Soo-yeon and Jo Eun-duk in the 1981 KBS1 TV Series Daemyeong.
• Portrayed by Jung Hye-sun in 1988 MBC TV series Queen Inhyeon.
• Portrayed by Kim Yeong-ae in 1995 SBS TV series Jang Hui-bin.
• Portrayed by Kang Boo-ja in the 2002–3 KBS2 TV series Royal Story: Jang Hui-bin.
• Portrayed by Go Won-hee in the 2013 JTBC TV series Blooded Palace: The War of Flowers.
• Portrayed by Lee Hyo-chun in the 2013 SBS TV series Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love.
• Portrayed by Chae Bin in the 2015 MBC TV series Splendid Politics.

References

Sources

• 장렬왕후 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.