Imperial Noble Consort Chunhui

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. )

Personal information

Father

Su Zhaonan (蘇召南)

Spouse

Qianlong Emperor

Children:

Yongzhang (永璋; 15 July 1735 - 26 August 1760), the Qianlong Emperor's third son.

Yongrong (永瑢; 28 January 1744 - 13 June 1790), the Qianlong Emperor's sixth son.

Heshuo Princess Hejia (和碩和嘉公主; 24 December 1745 - 29 October 1767), personal name unknown, the Qianlong Emperor's fourth daughter. She married Fulong'an (福隆安) of the Fuca clan.

Last update 29-05-2012

References