Posthumous name
효유헌성선경정인자혜홍덕순화문광원성숙렬명수협천융목수령희강현정휘안흠륜홍경태운창복희상의모예헌돈장계지경훈철범신정왕후

House

Pungyang Jo

Father

Jo Man-Yeong

Mother

Lady Song of the Eunjin Song clan

Posthumous name
효유헌성선경정인자혜홍덕순화문광원성숙렬명수협천융목수령희강현정휘안흠륜홍경태운창복희상의모예헌돈장계지경훈철범신정왕후

Queen Sinjeong (21 January 1809 - 4 June 1890) (신정왕후 조씨) also known as Queen Dowager Hyoyu (효유왕대비) was the only wife of Crown Prince Hyomyeong of Joseon and mother of king Heonjong of Joseon. She served as nominal regent of Joseon during the minority of Gojong’s reign, whom she had selected to place upon the throne, in 1864-1873, although she left all de facto power to the king's father Heungseon Daewongun and only kept the formal title as regent.

Sinjeong was the spouse of Crown Prince Hyomyeong, who died in 1830. Her son, Heonjong of Joseon, became king in 1834 but died childless in 1849, and was succeeded by a distant relative, Cheoljong of Joseon. After the death of her son, she was given the title Grand Royal Dowager Queen Sinjeong.

In January 1864, King Cheoljong died without an heir. There were no male heirs, the result of suspected foul play by a rival branch of the royal family, the Andong Kim clan. The Andong Kim clan had risen to power through intermarriage with the House of Yi. The selection of the next king was in the hands of three dowagers: Queen Sinjeong, mother of King Heonjong; Queen Myeongheon, King Heonjong’s wife; and Queen Cheorin, Cheoljong's wife. The "designation right" resided with Dowager Queen Sinjeong, as she was the oldest of the dowagers.

Queen Cheorin, the queen consort of Cheoljong and a member of the Andong Kim clan, claimed the right to choose the next king, although traditionally, the eldest queen dowager is the one with the authority to select the new king. Cheoljong’s cousin, Grand Royal Dowager Queen Sinjeong (the widow of King Heonjong's father [entitled Ikjong]) of the Pungyang Jo clan, who too had risen to prominence by intermarriage with the Yi family, currently held this title.

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Wikipedia