Empress Fu (Ai) facts for kids

Empress Fu (傅皇后), also known as Empress Xiao'ai, was an empress during the Han Dynasty in ancient China. Her personal name is not known today. She was married to Emperor Ai of Han, but they did not have any children. She passed away in September or October of 1 BC.

Life of Empress Fu

The tomb of Empress Fu, located east of Emperor Ai's tomb in Yiling (義陵), Xianyang, Shaanxi Province.

Empress Fu was related to Consort Fu, who was her husband's grandmother. Empress Fu's father was Fu Yan, who was a cousin of Consort Fu.

Empress Fu became a consort to Emperor Ai when he was still a prince. He was known as the Prince of Dingtao at that time. Later, he became the crown prince.

In April 7 BC, Emperor Ai's uncle, Emperor Cheng, passed away. This meant that Emperor Ai became the new ruler. He took the throne as Emperor Ai.

Soon after, in June of the same year, Empress Fu was officially made his empress. Her father, Fu Yan, was given an important title: the Marquess of Kongxiang. This showed the high status of her family.

When Emperor Ai died in August 1 BC, Empress Fu faced a difficult time. Her main supporter, Consort Fu (her husband's grandmother), had already passed away months earlier. This left Empress Fu without strong family support in the government.

After Emperor Ai's death, a powerful official named Wang Mang took control. Wang Mang did not like Empress Fu or Emperor Ai. He made sure that Empress Fu was not allowed to become the empress dowager, which was a very respected position for a former empress.

A short time after Emperor Ai's death, Wang Mang removed Empress Fu from her high position. She was made a commoner, meaning she lost all her royal status and privileges. She was then ordered to guard her husband's tomb. This happened even though she had not been involved in any political problems herself.

See also

In Spanish: Emperatriz Fu para niños