| Hangul: | 한창부부인 이씨 |
| Hanja: | 韓昌府夫人 李氏 |
| Rr: | Hanchang bubuin Yissi |
| Mr: | Hanch'ang pubuin Yissi |
Internal Princess Consort Hanchang of the Hansan Yi clan (; 1818 – 30 November 1874) was wife of Internal Prince Yeoseong and the mother of Empress Myeongseong, also the maternal grandmother of Emperor Sunjong of Korea.[1] She was killed in a bombing assassination in 1874 for political reasons by Heungseon Daewongun. Her death intensified the feud between him and her daughter.
Lady Hanchang was born into the aristocratic Hansan Yi clan in 1818 as the daughter of Yi Gyu-nyeon, and his wife, Lady Kim of the Andong Kim clan.
After her future husband’s first wife, Lady Oh of the Haeju Oh clan, died in 1833, Lady Yi was arranged to marry Min Chi-rok of the Yeoheung Min clan in 1836 as his second wife. At the time of the marriage, Lady Yi was 18 and Min was 37.
Lady Yi gave birth to a son in 1840, and two daughters in 1843 and 1847, but they all died before reaching the age of 8. It wasn’t until when Lady Yi was 33 and Min was 52 years old, that they managed to have a child. Lady Yi gave birth to the future Queen Consort on 17 November 1851 (18 October 1851 in lunar calendar).[2] They named their only child, Min Ja-yeong .[3]
Her husband died with an illness while he was in Sado City on 17 September 1858. This led to Lady Yi and her daughter to move from Seomark-ri, Geundong-myeon, Yeoju to the House of Gamgodang, where her husband’s relatives lived. Lady Yi then raised her daughter for 8 years along with her in-laws until her daughter was 16 years old, moved to the palace and became queen. When living with her in-laws in Gamgodang, it was decided in 1861 that Min Seung-ho would be her adoptive son as it was believed at the time that only males could continue the family line.
When King Gojong’s father, Heungseon Daewongun, was looking for a bride, royal relatives of the Yeoheung Min clan had suggested Min Chi-rok’s and Lady Yi’s daughter, Min Jayeong. Her daughter eventually married King Gojong on 20 March 1866 as his Queen Consort.
When her daughter became Queen Consort, Lady Yi was posthumously honored as “Internal Princess Consort Hanchang”,[4] [5] [6] and her husband was also honored as “Min Chi-rok, Internal Prince Yeoseong” and was appointed as Yeonguijeong after his death.
When Queen Min was expecting in 1871 and 1873, and as per Royal custom for childbirth, Lady Yi was brought into Gyeongbok Palace’s Gyotae Hall to help ease her daughter’s delivery.[7] [8] With both pregnancies bringing a loss, Lady Yi was once again brought to the palace. This time to Changdeok Palace’s Daejo Hall where she was able to see the birth of her only grandson, Crown Prince Yi Cheok, on 25 March 1874.
She later died from a political bombing assassination on 30 November 1874 along with her adoptive son, Min Seung-ho, Min Chi-gu (Min Seung-ho’s father), and Min Seung-ho’s son.[9]
Isabella Bird, a British explorer and writer, wrote about the assassination in her 1898 book Korea and Her Neighbours:[10]
After her death, her daughter and her father-in-law were constantly against one another in politics. The Empress had a few life attempts from then on, but it wasn’t until the early morning on 8 October 1895 that she died from an assassination at the age of 43.