Dowager Noble Consort Wan

Dowager Noble Consort Wan (1716 – 10 March 1807) was a consort of the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty.

Life

Dowager Noble Consort Wan was a Han Chinese by birth and her family name was Chen (陳). Her personal name is unknown. Her father was Chen Tingzhang (陳廷章). Sometime during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor (r. 1722–1735), Lady Chen became a concubine of Hongli, the emperor's fourth son.

In 1735, the Yongzheng Emperor died and was succeeded by Hongli, who was enthroned as the Qianlong Emperor. After his coronation, the emperor granted Lady Chen the rank of changzai. She was promoted to Noble Lady two years later. In 1749, the emperor further promoted her to Imperial Concubine under the title "Imperial Concubine Wan" (婉嬪). She held this rank and title for over four decades before the emperor promoted her to "Consort Wan" (婉妃) in 1794. She did not bear the Qianlong Emperor any children.

The Qianlong Emperor died in 1799. His successor, the Jiaqing Emperor, honoured Lady Chen with the title "Dowager Noble Consort Wan" in 1801. In his imperial edict, the Jiaqing Emperor mentioned that Lady Chen deserved the honour because she had served his father for a long time and was still in good health at a very old age. Lady Chen died in 1807 at around the age of 90, and was interred in the Yuling Mausoleum at the Eastern Qing tombs. She was the longest surviving consort of the Qianlong Emperor at the time of her death.

See also

• Ranks of imperial consorts in China#Qing
• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty

References

• Zhao, Erxun (1928). Draft History of Qing (Qing Shi Gao) (in Chinese).