Queen Gongwon

Queen Gongwon (18 July 1298 – January 1380) also known as Queen Mother Myeongdeok was queen consort to king Chungsuk of Goryeo and the mother of king Chunghye of Goryeo and king Gongmin of Goryeo. She was from the Namyang Hong clan.

Biography

She was born in 1298 as the fifth daughter of Hong Gyu and Lady Kim of the Gwangju Kim clan. Royal Consort Sunhwa, one of the concubines of king Chungseon of Goryeo was her sister. In 1313, she married with Chungsuk of Goryeo and she was promoted to the rank of Bi with the adjective Deok. In 1315 she gave birth to her first son, prince Wang Jeong.

In 1330, she gave birth to her second son, prince Wang Gi. King Chungsuk, who was allowed to return to Goryeo in 1325, passed the throne to King Chunghye in 1330 but was reinstated after two years because King Chunghye was deposed by Yuan. She was in a confrontation with Shin Don and frequently made remarks about the radical reform policies of Gongmin.

In particular, when she saw Gongmin killing several servants who were obstacles to the reform policy she reprove him. When Shin Don was killed relationship with her son was restored. Queen Gongwon died in 1380.

Family

• Father: Hong Gyu (1242 – 23 June 1316) (홍규)
• Mother: Lady Kim of the Gwangju Kim clan (광주 김씨)
• Sister: Royal Consort Sunhwa Won-Bi of the Namyang Hong clan (? – 13 August 1306) (순화원비 홍씨)
• Husband: King Chungsuk of Goryeo (30 July 1294 – 3 May 1339) (고려 충숙왕)
  • Son: King Chunghye of Goryeo (22 February 1315 – 30 January 1344) (고려 충혜왕)
    • Daughter-in-law: Princess Consort Deoknyeong of the Borjigin clan (? – 1375) (덕녕공주)
  • Son: King Gongmin of Goryeo (23 May 1330 – 27 October 1374) (고려 공민왕)
    • Daughter-in-law: Queen Indeok of the Borjigin clan (? – 8 March 1365) (인덕왕후)

References

• 명덕태후 (in Korean). Doosan Encyclopedia.