Princess Yoshiko (Shin-Seiwa-In)

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Princess Yoshiko (欣子内親王, Yoshiko Naishinnō^?, 11 March 1779 - 11 August 1846) was a Japanese princess. She was Emperor Go-Momozono's only biological child and the Empress consort to Emperor Kōkaku. She was also titled Onna-Ichi-no-Miya (女一宮, Onna-Ichi-no-Miya^?) in her infancy and Shin-Seiwa-In (新清和院, Shin-Seiwa-In^?) as a nun in her later life.

[edit] Lineage

Princess Yoshiko, the only daughter of Emperor Go-Momozono, was made to be the wife of the Emperor's adopted heir, muko-yoshi (婿養子).

Father: Emperor Go-Momozono
Mother: Konoe Koreko, daughter of Konoe Uchisaki
Husband and adopted brother: Emperor Kōkaku - Yoshiko's second cousin twice removed in the biological male line
Children: Prince Masuhito and Prince Toshihito

[edit] Biography

Yoshiko's father, Emperor Go-Momozono, died without a son when she was nine months old. To avoid dynastic interregnum, Retired Empress Go-Sakuramachi and her chief adviser had the dying Emperor adopt Prince Morohito, whose biological father was Prince Sukehito, the second Prince Kan'in. Morohito, who would be known as Emperor Kōkaku later, acceded to the throne at age 8 upon his adopted father's death.

Retired Empress Go-Sakuramachi engaged Yoshiko to the new Emperor. Yoshiko formally became Empress consort to Emperor Kōkaku at age 15. She bore two sons, both of whom died in infancy. She was bestowed the title of Empress Dowager in 1820. She became a Buddhist nun after Emperor Kōkaku's death, and often traveled around Kyoto.

Yoshiko died at age 67 and was buried in Nochi-no-Tsukinowa-no-Misasagi alongside with her husband.