Empress Fu (Ai)
Empress Fu (傅皇后) (died 1 BC), formally Empress Xiaoai (孝哀皇后), was an Empress during Han Dynasty. Her personal name is unknown. Her husband was Emperor Ai of Han, but they had no children, and their marriage was possibly not even consummated because he was homosexual.[1]
| Empress Xiaoai 孝哀皇后 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Emperor Ai of Han | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Fu Yan, Marquess of Kongxiang | ||||
Life
Empress Fu was the daughter of her husband’s grandmother Consort Fu’s cousin Fu Yan (傅晏). She became his consort when he was still the Prince of Dingtao and later crown prince. After the death of his uncle Emperor Cheng in 6 BC, he ascended the throne as Emperor Ai,[2] and she was created his empress that same year. Her father was created the Marquess of Kongxiang.[3]
By the time Emperor Ai died in 1 BC, Empress Fu’s main support, Consort Fu, had already been dead for two years and she suddenly was all alone as her father and her other relatives were purged from government by Wang Mang.[4] Wang, who bore grudges against Fu and Ai, did not permit her to become Empress dowager, and a brief time after Ai’s death, he had her demoted to commoner status and ordered her to guard her husband’s tomb—even though she was not personally involved in any of the political intrigue. She committed suicide that day.
References
- Book of Han, vol. 97, part 2.
- Stern, Keith (2009), "Ai Ti", Queers in History, BenBella Books, Inc.; Dallas, Texas, ISBN 978-1-933771-87-8
- Zizhi Tongjian, 33, 34, 35.
- Rudi Thomsen, Ambition and Confucianism: a biography of Wang Mang, Aarhus University Press, 1988. ISBN 87-7288-155-0.
| Chinese royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Empress Zhao Feiyan |
Empress of Western Han Dynasty 6 BC – 1 BC |
Succeeded by Empress Wang |