Queen Jangnyeol

Queen Jangryeol (6 December 1624 – 10 September 1688), of the Yangju Jo clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Jong, King Injo, the 16th Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1638 until her husband's death in 1649, after which she was honoured as Queen Dowager Jaui during the reign of her step-son Yi Ho, King Hyojong, and as Grand Queen Dowager Jaui  during the reign of her step grandson Yi Yeon, King Hyeonjong and her step great-grandson Yi Sun, King Sukjong.

Biography
The future queen was born on 6 December 1624 during the reign King Injo. Her father, Jo Chang-won, was member of the Yangju Jo clan, and her mother was member of the Jeonju Choi clan. Although her aunt, older sisters and cousins have personal names, there is information yet to be found regarding the Queen’s name from historical records.

Three years after his first wife Queen Inyeol's death, Injo selected the fourteen-year old daughter of Jo Chang-won as new queen consort in November 1638. The King was 44 years old, and his two sons, Crown Prince Sohyeon and Grand Prince Bongrim, were 12 and 5 years her senior.

The Queen's relationship with Injo was not good due to the fact that she could not bear a son, and because the King's concubine, Royal Consort Gwi-in of the Okcheon Jo clan, had succeeded in having Injo to hate her. Thus she left the main palace, Changdeok Palace, in 1645 to live in Gyeongdeok Palace (now known as Gyeonghui Palace).

After Injo's death, she was elevated to the rank of queen dowager and formally addressed as Queen Dowager Jaui. Disputes happened during the death of her stepson, Hyojong, and his wife, Queen Inseon, where the factions argued on the duration in which Jaui would have to wear the mourning attire called sangbok. The incident was known as Yesong Dispute : for Hyojong's funeral, it became an issue to determine whether the dowager should be mourning for three years or one year, while for Queen Dowager Hyosuk, either one year or nine months.

When Hyeonjong became the king in 1659, Jaui officially became grand queen dowager. She led a solitary life until her death at the age of 64 on 10 December 1688 during Sukjong's reign after living 50 years of her life as a woman of the royal palace.

Her tomb is located in Hwineung, Donggurneung, which is located within the city of Guri in Gyeonggi Province.

Family
Parent


 * Father − Jo Chang-won (1583–1646)
 * Mother − Internal Princess Consort Wansan of the Jeonju Choi clan (1583–1663)

Sibling


 * Older sister − Jo Su-im, Lady Jo of the Yangju Jo clan (1607–?)
 * Older brother − Jo Yun-seok (1615–1664)
 * Older sister − Jo Jong-im, Lady Jo of the Yangju Jo clan (1623–?)

Consort


 * Yi Jong, King Injo (7 December 1595 – 17 June 1649) — No issue.
 * Mother-in-law - Queen Inheon of the Neungseong Gu clan (17 April 1578 – 14 January 1626)
 * Father-in-law - Wonjong of Joseon (2 August 1580 – 29 December 1619)

Issue


 * Adoptive son − Yi Wang, Crown Prince Sohyeon (5 February 1612 – 22 May 1645)
 * Adoptive son − King Hyojong (3 July 1619 – 23 June 1659)

In popular culture

 * Portrayed by Kang Soo-yeon and Jo Eun-duk in the 1981 KBS1 TV Series Daemyeong.
 * Portrayed by Jung Hye-sun in 1988 MBC TV series Queen Inhyeon.
 * Portrayed by Kim Yeong-ae in 1995 SBS TV series Jang Hui-bin.
 * Portrayed by Kang Boo-ja in the 2002–3 KBS2 TV series Royal Story: Jang Hui-bin.
 * Portrayed by Go Won-hee in the 2013 JTBC TV series Blooded Palace: The War of Flowers.
 * Portrayed by Lee Hyo-chun in the 2013 SBS TV series Jang Ok-jung, Living by Love.
 * Portrayed by Chae Bin in the 2015 MBC TV series Splendid Politics.