Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui

Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui

Portrait of Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui
Born 1713
Died 1760 (aged 4647)
Spouse Qianlong Emperor
Issue Yongzhang
Yongrong
Heshuo Princess Hejia
Posthumous name
Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui
(純惠皇貴妃)
House House of Su (by birth)
House of Aisin-Gioro (by marriage)
Father Su Zhaonan
Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui
Traditional Chinese 純惠皇貴妃
Simplified Chinese 纯惠皇贵妃

Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui (1713 1760) was a consort of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

Biography

Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui was a Han Chinese and her family name was Su (蘇). Her personal name is unknown. Her father was Su Zhaonan (蘇召南). Born during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, Lady Su entered the Forbidden Palace during the Yongzheng Emperor's reign and became a concubine of Yongzheng's fourth son Hongli.

In 1735 the Yongzheng Emperor died and was succeeded by Hongli, who became known as the Qianlong Emperor. Lady Su was then granted the title of Imperial Concubine Chun (純嬪). In 1737 she was promoted to the rank of Consort Chun (純妃). Eight years later in 1745 she was elevated to the status of Noble Consort Chun (純貴妃). In 1760 she was conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort Chun (純皇貴妃), making her second only to the Empress in the imperial harem.

Lady Su died in 1760 and was posthumously honoured as Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui (純惠皇貴妃). She was interred in the Yuling Mausoleum (裕陵) for concubines of the Qing emperors.

Error in name

The Draft history of the Qing dynasty (清史稿) incorrectly recorded Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui's surname as Sugiya (蘇佳). While some Qing era imperial consorts who were of Han Chinese origin changed their family names to Manchu clan names after marrying the emperors, Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui never changed hers. This was because she came from a lesser background (her father was a commoner) and her family was thus not eligible for acquiring a higher social status. (During the Qing Dynasty, some Han Chinese imperial consorts and their families were able to acquire a higher social status by being promoted to one of the Manchu Eight Banners. They were then allowed to change their Han Chinese family names to Manchu clan names to reflect their new status.)

Family

See also

References

  1. Draft history of the Qing dynasty 《清史稿》卷二百十四.列傳一.后妃傳.高宗纯惠皇贵妃.
  2. China, The Three Emperors 1662-1795. ISBN 1-903973-69-4 (hardback), edited by Evelyn S. Rawski and Jessica Rawson.
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