List of Chinese empresses and queens explained

The following is a list of empresses and queens consort of China. 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.

Empresses and queens consort

The title of empress consort (Chinese: 皇后, húanghòu) could also be given posthumously. The posthumous empresses are listed separately by the year they were given the title.

Zhou dynasty

Name! style="background:#ffe989;"
BirthBecame QueenCeased to be QueenDeathSpouse
Tai Si1099 BC 1050 BCKing Wen
Queen Yi Jiang (邑姜)1046 BC1043 BCKing Wu
Wáng Sì (王姒)
Wáng Jiāng (王姜)
Queen Fáng (房后)
Wáng Zǔ Jiāng (王俎姜)
Wáng Guī (王媯)King Gong
Wáng Bó Jiāng (王伯姜)King Yi
Wáng Jīng (王京)King Xiao
Wáng Jí (王姞)King Yi
Shēn Jiāng (王姞)
Queen Jiang827 BC782 BCKing Xuan
Queen Shēn (申后) 782 BC772 BCKing You
Bao Si (褒姒)779 BC771 BC
Jì Jì Jiāng (紀季姜)
Chén Guī (陈妫)King Hui
Queen Dí (翟后)
Qí Jiāng (周灵王)
Queen Mù (穆后)527 BC

Western Han dynasty

Name! style="background:#ffe989;"
ParentsBirthMarriageBecame EmpressCeased to be EmpressDeathSpouse
Empress Lü ZhiLü Wen, Prince Xuan of Lü

Princess Consort Xuan

241 BC202 BC195 BC18 Aug 180 BC Emperor Gaozu of Han
Empress Zhang YanZhang Ao, Prince of Zhao

Princess Yuan of Lu

192 BC192 BC188 BC163 BCEmperor Hui of Han
Empress LüLü Lu (呂祿)c.205 BC184 BC180 BCc.180 BCEmperor Houshao of Han
Empress DouDou Chong, Marquis Ancheng205 BC179 BC179 BC157 BC135 BCEmperor Wen of Han
Empress Bo158 BC157 BC151 BC147 BCEmperor Jing of Han
Empress Wang ZhiWang Zhong

Zang Er

173 BC 150 BC126 BC
Empress Chen JiaoChen Wu, Marquess of Tangyi

Liu Piao, Princess Guantao

141 BC130 BCc.110 BCEmperor Wu of Han
Empress Wei ZifuMadam Wei (衛媼)128 BC91 BC
Empress ShangguanLady Huo89 BC(?) 84 BC83 BC74 BC:37 BCEmperor Zhao of Han
Empress Xu PingjunXu Guanghan c.90 BCc. 76 BC74 BC71 BCEmperor Xuan of Han
Empress Huo ChengjunHuo Guang

Lady Xian

70 BC: 66 BC54 BC
Empress WangWang Fengguang, Marquess of Qiongcheng64 BC49 BC16 BC
Empress Wang ZhengjunWang Jin, Marquess of Yangping

Li Qin

71 BC c.50 BC48 BC 33 BC13 ADEmperor Yuan of Han
Empress XuXu Jia, the Marquess of Ping'en31 BC18 BC8 BCEmperor Cheng of Han
Empress Zhao Feiyanc. 32 BC16 BC7 BC1 BC
Empress FuFu Yan, Marquis of Kongxiang6 BC 1 BCEmperor Ai of Han
Empress WangWang Mang

Lady Wang

8 BC 4 AD5 AD23 ADEmperor Ping of Han

Xin dynasty

Name! style="background:#ffe989;"
ParentsBirthMarriageBecame EmpressCeased to be EmpressDeathSpouse
Empress WangWang Xian, Marquess of Yichin9 AD21 ADEmperor Wang Mang
Empress ShiShi Chen (史諶)23 AD

Eastern Han dynasty

Three Kingdoms period

Cao Wei

Shu Han

Eastern Wu

Jin dynasty

Huan Chu dynasty

Sixteen Kingdoms period

Cheng Han

Han-Zhao

Later Zhao

Ran Wei

Former Liang

Later Liang

Western Liang

Northern Liang

Southern Liang

Former Qin

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

See main article: Empress of Northern Zhou.

Sui dynasty

Tang dynasty

Qin
Han (Dingyang)
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

Qing dynasty

EmperorEmpress consort*PictureBirthBecame empress consortCeased to be empress consort Death
Hong TaijiJerjer, Empress Xiaoduanwen
31 May 1599August 1636 21 September 1643
28 May 1649
Fulin, the Shunzhi EmperorErdeni Bumba, Empress
27 September 1651 25 October 1653
Alatan Qiqige, Empress Xiaohuizhang
5 November 1641July/August 16545 February 1661
7 January 1718
Xuanye, the Kangxi EmperorEmpress Xiaochengren
3 February 1654October/November 1665 6 June 1674
Empress Xiaozhaoren
165318 September 167718 March 1678
Empress Xiaoyiren
23 August 168924 August 1689
Yinzhen, the Yongzheng EmperorDuoqimuli, Empress Xiaojingxian
28 June 168128 March 172329 October 1731
Hongli, the Qianlong EmperorEmpress Xiaoxianchun
28 March 171223 January 17388 April 1748
Empress
11 March 17182 September 175019 August 1766
Yongyan, the Jiaqing EmperorEmpress Xiaoshurui
2 October 176012 February 17965 March 1797
Empress Xiaoherui
20 November 177627 May 18012 September 1820
23 January 1850
Mianning, the Daoguang EmperorEmpress Xiaoshencheng
5 July 179228 December 182216 June 1833
Empress Xiaoquancheng
24 March 180818 November 183413 February 1840
Yizhu, the Xianfeng EmperorEmpress Xiaozhenxian
12 August 1837November/December 185222 August 1861
8 April 1881
Zaichun, the Tongzhi EmperorEmpress Xiaozheyi
25 July 185415 October 187212 January 1875
27 March 1875
Zaitian, the Guangxu EmperorJingfen, Empress Xiaodingjing
28 January 186826 February 188914 November 1908
22 February 1913

Manchukuo

EmperorEmpress consort*PictureBirthBecame empress consortCeased to be empress consort Death
Puyi, the Xuantong EmperorWanrong, Empress Xiaokemin
13 November 19061 March 193417 August 1945
20 June 1946

Empresses dowager

The title of Empress dowager (Chinese: 皇太后, húangtàihòu) 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

See also

References

Bibliography

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