Empress dowager facts for kids

An Empress Dowager is a special title given to the mother or widow of an emperor. This title was mostly used in East Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Sometimes, it was also given to another important woman of the same generation. If a woman was from an even older generation, like a grandmother, she might be called a Grand Empress Dowager.

Empresses Dowager had a lot of power. They were in charge of the royal family and sometimes even helped make big decisions for the country. They were highly respected, even more so than the emperor in some ways. The emperor would show great respect to her, bowing his head and speaking politely. Many empresses dowager ruled the country when the emperor was too young. Some even kept their power for a long time after the emperor grew up. This often led to disagreements about who should really be in charge.

The title Dowager Empress was also used in Europe, for example, for the wife of a deceased emperor in Russia or the Holy Roman Empire.

Empresses Dowager Around the World

East Asia

Chinese Empresses Dowager

China had many powerful empresses dowager throughout its history. Here are a few examples:

• Empress Dowager Lü (241–180 BC): She was the wife of Emperor Gaozu of Han.
• Empress Dowager Wang
• Empress Dowager Deng
• Empress Dowager Feng: She was the empress of Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei.
• Empress Dowager Hu (died 528): She was a concubine of Emperor Xuanwu.
• Empress Dowager Wu: More famously known as Wu Zetian, she was a very powerful ruler.
• Empress Dowager Xiao (Chengtian): She was a strong leader during the Liao dynasty.
• Empress Dowager Xie (1210–1283): She was the empress of Emperor Lizong of Song.
• Empress Gi (1315–1369): She was one of the main empresses of Toghon Temur.
• Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang (1613–1688): She was a consort of Hong Taiji.
• Empress Dowager Chongqing
• Empress Dowager Ci'an
• Empress Dowager Cixi: She was a very famous and powerful ruler of the Qing dynasty for 40 years.
• Empress Dowager Longyu (1868–1913): She was the wife of the Guangxu Emperor and helped Puyi give up the throne.

Japanese Empresses Dowager

Standard of the Japanese Empress Dowager

In Japan, the title of "Empress Dowager" (called Kōtaigō) was not automatically given to an emperor's widow. It had to be officially granted by the new emperor.

Some Japanese Empresses Dowager include:

• Empress Dowager Yoshiko (1779–1846): She was the widow of Emperor Kōkaku.
• Empress Dowager Eishō (1834–1898): She was the widow of Emperor Kōmei.
• Empress Dowager Shōken (1849–1914): She was the widow of Emperor Meiji.
• Empress Dowager Teimei (1884–1951): She was the widow of Emperor Taishō.
• Empress Dowager Kōjun (1903–2000): She was the widow of Emperor Shōwa.

Korean Empresses Dowager

• Empress Dowager Myeongheon (1831–1903): She was the wife and widow of Heonjong of Joseon.

Europe

Holy Roman Dowager Empresses

The title of empress dowager was also used in the Holy Roman Empire.

• Eleonora Gonzaga (1630–1686): She was the wife of Emperor Ferdinand III and became empress dowager in 1657.
• Empress Matilda: Even though she was never officially called a dowager, she was still known as "empress" long after her first husband, Henry V, died.
• Empress Constance: She gave up her throne in Sicily for her son, Frederick II, but kept her title as Empress Dowager until she died.

Russian Dowager Empresses

In Russia, Dowager Empresses were very important and had a higher rank than the current empress. This sometimes caused problems between them.

There have been four Dowager Empresses in Russia:

• Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759–1828): She was the wife of Paul I.
• Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna (1779–1826): She was the wife of Alexander I.
• Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1798–1860): She was the wife of Nicholas I.
• Empress Maria Feodorovna (1847–1928): She was the wife of Alexander III.

Indian Empresses Dowager

In India, the title of empress dowager was used for the widows of the British King-Emperors of India.

• Queen-Empress Alexandra (died 1925): She was the widow of King-Emperor Edward VII.
• Queen-Empress Mary (died 1953): She was the widow of King-Emperor George V.
• Queen-Empress Elizabeth (died 2002): She was the widow of King-Emperor George VI.

Southeast Asia

Vietnamese Empresses Dowager

Vietnam also had many empresses dowager, especially during the Đinh, Early Lê, Lý, Trần, and Nguyễn dynasties.

• Empress Dowager Dương Vân Nga (952–1000): After her husband, Emperor Đinh Bộ Lĩnh, died, she became empress dowager. She later helped her son give up the throne to Lê Đại Hành and married him, becoming empress again.
• Empress Dowager Thượng Dương (died 1073): She tried to rule for the young emperor, but the new emperor's mother, Lady Ỷ Lan, stopped her.
• Empress Dowager Ỷ Lan (c. 1044–1117): After becoming empress dowager, she held all the political power.
• Empress Dowager Chiêu Linh (died 1200): She became empress dowager after her husband, Emperor Lý Thần Tông, died and her son became emperor.
• Empress Dowager Đỗ Thụy Châu: She became co-empress dowager with Empress Dowager Chiêu Linh.
• Empress Dowager An Toàn (died 1226): She was known for using her power too much when her son, Emperor Lý Huệ Tông, was ruling.
• Empress Dowager Trần Thị Dung (died 1259): She became empress dowager when her daughter, Lý Chiêu Hoàng, became the only empress in Vietnamese history.
• Empress Dowager Tuyên Từ (died 1318): She became empress dowager after Grand Emperor Trần Nhân Tông died.
• Empress Dowager Từ Dụ (1810–1902): She was the wife of Emperor Thiệu Trị and mother of Emperor Tự Đức.
• Empress Dowager Từ Cung (1890–1980): She was the mother of Bảo Đại, the last Vietnamese Emperor.

See also

• Grand empress dowager
• Queen dowager and queen mother