empress jianwenshun
China

Empress Jianwenshun – Emperor Jianwen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty’s posthumous Empress who lost both of her sons and had a miserable end

Empress Jianwenshun was the posthumous Empress of Emperor Jianwen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Empress Jianwenshun bore Prince Sima Rui (the future Emperor Jianwen) two children.[1] However, her two children would have tragic deaths.[2] The deaths of her children would lead to Empress Jianwenshun’s unfortunate end.[3] The birthdate of Empress Jianwenshun is unrecorded.[4] She was from the Wang [read more]

Empress Yuanjing
China

Empress Yuanjing – Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty’s beloved posthumous Empress

Empress Yuanjing was the posthumous empress of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. However, very little is known about her.[1] She had a loving marriage with Emperor Yuan when he was still a vassal prince.[2] She was also barren.[3] Empress Yuanjing was often in conflict with her husband’s imperial concubine, Imperial Consort Xun.[4] Eventually, Imperial Consort [read more]

imperial consort xun
China

Imperial Consort Xun – The expelled Imperial Consort of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty who was forced to remarry a commoner

Imperial Consort Xun was once an imperial concubine to Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.[1] She was also the mother of Emperor Ming and the grandmother of Emperor Cheng of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.[2] However, Imperial Consort Xun was often in conflict with the future Emperor Yuan’s principal wife, Princess Yu Mengmu (the posthumous Empress [read more]

Louise of Sweden
Catherine of Sweden

Women who were passed over – Sweden

Sweden introduced absolute primogeniture in 1980 and immediately gained a Crown Princess. Before this change, the Swedish monarchy used agnatic-cognatic primogeniture, which only allowed women to rule if there were no more male dynasts. Sweden was originally an elective monarchy, but it became hereditary during the reign of King Gustav I. Between 1810 and 1980, [read more]