Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Jeonui Yi clan (Korean: 영빈 전의 이씨; Hanja: 暎嬪 全義 李氏; 15 August 1696 – 23 August 1764), alternatively known as Lady Seonhui (Korean: 선희궁; Hanja: 宣禧宮), was a concubine of King Yeongjo of Joseon and the mother of Crown Prince Sado.[1] She is most well known for advising Yeongjo to execute their son, as the latter suffered from serious mental illnesses.[2]
Biography
Early life
The future Royal Noble Consort Yeong was born into the Jeonui Yi clan on August 15, 1696, to Yi Yu-beon, and his wife, Lady Kim of the Hanyang Kim clan.
In 1701 (the 24th year of King Sukjong's reign), at the age of 6, Lady Yi entered the palace and became a gungnyeo.
Palace life
In 1726, at the age of 31, Lady Yi became a concubine of King Yeongjo, in his second year of reign. She was given the rank of Sug-ui (숙의, 淑儀; junior second rank concubine).
A year later, in 1727, Royal Consort Sug-ui gave birth to a daughter, Princess Hwapyeong.
She was promoted to the rank of Gwi-in (귀인, 貴人; junior first rank concubine) in October, that same year.
Between 1728 and 1732, she gave birth to three daughters: one died at the age of 3, the second at the age of 2, and the third at the age of 4.
In 1730, she was finally promoted to the most senior rank of Bin (빈, 嬪; senior first rank concubine), with the prefix Yeong (暎), meaning "shining".
Yi Yeong-bin gave birth to the heir apparent in 1735. Yi Seon was not the first male child to be born to Yeongjo, but the death of Crown Prince Hyojang, nearly seven years earlier, meant that the court was particularly pleased to welcome another son.[3]
Yeongjo ordered Sado to be brought up in a palace quite far from the main residence, so Lady Yi did not personally oversee his upbringing.[4] The court ladies in charge of looking after the prince apparently slighted Noble Consort Yeong frequently, as they considered her to be of common birth.[5]
Her daughter-in-law recorded that she was affectionate toward her children, but very strict and taught them, "as if she were not their mother."[6] However, she tended to her children personally when they fell ill.[7]
When Lady Hong entered the palace to marry Crown Prince Sado, Consort Yeong treated her as one of her own children, despite the fact that the Crown Princess was expected to address the King's primary wife, Queen Jeongseong, as her mother-in-law.[6]
In 1748, Princess Hwapyeong died at the age of 21, and Lady Yi is recorded as having grieved excessively.[8]
After the death of his primary wife, Yeongjo married his second queen, in 1759. Consort Yeong supported his decision to remarry and assisted in preparing the state celebrations.[9]
She was aware that the King disliked the Crown Prince, an issue that Queen Jeongseong discussed frequently with her.[10] She was also aware that her son was suffering from a serious mental illness and that he was killing ladies-in-waiting and eunuchs, as the Crown Princess went to her for advice after Sado's first murder, in 1757.[11] Though initially Lady Yi wanted to talk to Sado, her daughter-in-law persuaded her not to, as she feared the consequences if Sado found out she had spoken to his mother.[12] In 1760, the Crown Prince lost his temper at a birthday celebration and cursed at his mother and children.[13] When he began to threaten Princess Hwawan to gain more personal freedoms, Consort Yeong attended their meetings, as she feared for her daughter's safety. During one meeting, in 1760, she witness Sado threaten to "slash Princess Hwawan with [his] sword."[14]
Execution of Crown Prince Sado
On 4 July 1762, Yi Yeong-bin wrote to Crown Princess Hong in response to the rumour that the Crown Prince had attempted to enter the upper palace to kill his father. In the letter, she apologised preemptively to her daughter-in-law.[15] On the same day, she spoke to Yeongjo and stated that Sado's illness was uncontrollable. She advised him that Sado should be removed, but his wife and son should not be harmed.[16] After the King left, Lady Yi apparently beat her chest and refused to eat.[17]
After the execution of Sado, Lady Hyegyŏng records that Consort Yeong transferred her love to her grandson, who moved into the upper palace and slept in the same room as his grandmother. She organised his meals and study sessions.[18]
Death and burial
Royal Noble Consort Yeong developed a tumor on her back and died on August 23, 1764. In the opinion of her daughter-in-law, Consort Yeong's intense grief after the execution of her son also weakened her.[19]
She was buried in the Seooneung Cluster, in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The tomb is known as Sugyeongwon (수경원; 綏慶園). Her memorial tablet was enshrined in Chilgung (or the "Palace Of Seven Royal Concubines").
During the reign of Gojong, Lady Yi was posthumously honoured with the title Soyu (Korean: 소유; Hanja: 昭裕).
