Lý Chiêu Hoàng was the first and only queen regnant in the history of our feudal Vietnam. She was also the youngest empress to be officially enthroned. Throughout her 60-year life (from 1218 to 1278), she held various royal titles.
Early Life and the Power Struggle Between the Lý and Trần Dynasties
Lý Chiêu Hoàng was the second daughter of Emperor Lý Huệ Tông and Empress Trần Thị Dung. She was also the ninth and final emperor of the Lý dynasty (1010–1225). From an early age, she was caught in the power struggle between the Lý and Trần dynasties, which led to a life filled with hardships.
Ascending the Throne at a Young Age
According to Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư, Lý Chiêu Hoàng ascended the throne in October 1224 at just six years old, adopting the reign title Thiên Chương Hữu Đạo. Due to her young age, state affairs were managed by her mother, Empress Dowager Trần Thị Dung. At that time, Trần Thủ Độ—the head of the imperial guards and a powerful figure in the court, who was also the cousin of the Empress Dowager—arranged for his eight-year-old nephew, Trần Cảnh, to enter the palace as a servant to Lý Chiêu Hoàng.
A Childhood Bond with Trần Cảnh
Having a companion of the same age, Lý Chiêu Hoàng grew fond of Trần Cảnh, and they often played together. Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư records:
“One day, Cảnh, then eight years old, was tasked with bringing water for washing. Seeing this, Chiêu Hoàng took a liking to him and frequently summoned him to play at night. When she saw Cảnh standing in the shadows, she would tease him, either pulling his hair or stepping on his shadow.”
“On another occasion, when Cảnh was carrying water for her, Chiêu Hoàng playfully splashed water onto his face, laughing as she did so. Later, when Cảnh brought her a towel, she threw it back at him.”
The Palace Coup and Abdication
Observing their closeness, Trần Thủ Độ conspired with his cousin, Empress Dowager Trần Thị Dung, to orchestrate a bold palace coup by bringing all their relatives into the Forbidden Palace.
Trần Thủ Độ then ordered his soldiers to seal the city gates and palace entrances, ensuring strict surveillance. When the Lý court officials sought an audience with the emperor, they were denied entry.
With the imperial palace under lockdown, the Lý court had no means of resistance since the Trần family effectively held the Empress and Empress Dowager as hostages. Trần Thủ Độ then proclaimed: “Her Majesty is already married.” Thus, Lý Chiêu Hoàng and Trần Cảnh were formally wed.
In November 1225, Lý Chiêu Hoàng issued an edict to abdicate in favor of Trần Cảnh. A month later, she ceremonially handed over the imperial robe at Thiên An Palace. With that, the Lý dynasty’s 216-year reign officially ended. Trần Cảnh ascended the throne as Emperor Trần Thái Tông, while Lý Chiêu Hoàng was conferred the title Empress and renamed Chiêu Thánh. At just seven years old, she became the youngest empress consort in history.
A Marriage and Loss
Lý Chiêu Hoàng and Trần Cảnh lived together for ten years in a deep and respectful relationship. However, her fate remained tragic. In 1233, she gave birth to Crown Prince Trần Trịnh, but he passed away shortly after. Devastated, she fell into prolonged illness and was unable to conceive again.
Deposition and Demotion
Fearing that the lack of an heir would destabilize the throne, Trần Thủ Độ forced Emperor Trần Thái Tông to depose her and instead install Princess Thuận Thiên—Lý Chiêu Hoàng’s elder sister and the wife of the emperor’s older brother—who was then three months pregnant.
Princess Thuận Thiên was elevated to Empress, while Lý Chiêu Hoàng was demoted to Chiêu Thánh Công Chúa (Princess Chiêu Thánh). Overcome with grief, she requested to leave the palace to become a Buddhist nun.
Marriage to Lê Tần and a New Chapter
In 1258, during the Mongol invasion, Emperor Trần Thái Tông was saved by a general named Lê Tần, who shielded him from enemy arrows using a wooden plank. In recognition of his bravery, the emperor granted him the title Ngự sử đại phu and arranged for him to marry his former wife, Lý Chiêu Hoàng. At that time, she was 40 years old. With Lê Tần, she bore two children: a son, Lê Tông, who was later given the noble title Thượng Vị Hầu, and a daughter, Princess Ứng Thụy Lê Ngọc Khuê.
According to historian Nguyễn Đức Thìn, despite being an arranged marriage, it ultimately brought Lý Chiêu Hoàng love and happiness.
The Legacy of Lý Chiêu Hoàng
Although she was the last ruler of the illustrious Lý dynasty—a dynasty that laid the foundation for later prosperity in Đại Việt—Lý Chiêu Hoàng endured an exceptionally turbulent fate. The Lý dynasty had nine emperors, but only the first eight (from Lý Thái Tổ to Lý Huệ Tông) were enshrined at Đền Đô, while she was worshipped separately at Đền Rồng. Some historians speculate that she was excluded because she was seen as responsible for the dynasty’s downfall. However, historian Nguyễn Đức Thìn argued that the transition of power from the Lý to the Trần dynasty was historically inevitable:
“Lý Chiêu Hoàng’s decision to abdicate in favor of her husband, Trần Cảnh, was necessary. The Lý dynasty had weakened, and the Trần family’s rise was in accordance with fate. This transition allowed Đại Việt to become strong enough to repel three Mongol invasions, ensuring peace for the land. Had she remained on the throne and prolonged the Lý dynasty’s decline, she would have been guilty of failing her people. Thus, as a citizen of Đại Việt—and especially as a former emperor—her abdication was a positive act.”
Final Days and Death
In March 1278, Lý Chiêu Hoàng passed away at the age of 60. It is said that she died while visiting her ancestral homeland in Cổ Pháp (modern-day Bắc Ninh), and even in her final moments, her hair remained jet-black, her lips as red as vermilion, and her cheeks as rosy as peach blossoms. She was buried at the western edge of Thọ Lăng Thiên Đức and later worshipped at Long Miếu (Dragon Temple).
A Life Marked by Tragedy and Legacy
From birth to death, Lý Chiêu Hoàng’s life was marked by extraordinary upheavals, making her one of the most tragic figures in Vietnam’s feudal history. Over her lifetime, she held seven different titles:
- Princess of the Lý dynasty
- Crown Prince of the Lý dynasty
- Empress Regnant of the Lý dynasty
- Empress Consort of the Trần dynasty
- Princess of the Trần dynasty
- Buddhist nun during the Trần era
- Wife of a Trần dynasty general
Her story remains one of the most poignant in Vietnamese history.