Imperial Noble Consort Dunhui

Life

Imperial Noble Consort Dunhui was born in the Manchu Silin-Gioro clan (西林覺羅氏), which was under the Bordered Blue Banner. Her father, Luolin (羅霖), served as a zhushi (主事; a type of official post) in the Qing government. Her paternal great-grandfather was Luoding (羅定), a seventh-grade official. Her grandfather, Jiqing (吉卿), served as a bithesi (筆貼式; a scribal official whose duties include copying and translating). Her maternal grandfather, Tuopuqing'a (托普清阿), was a canling (參領; a type of military officer).

Lady Silin-Gioro entered the Forbidden City in 1872 around the age of 16 and became a consort of the Tongzhi Emperor. She was granted the rank of Noble Lady under the title "Noble Lady Jin" (瑨貴人). In 1874, after the Tongzhi Emperor's death, the Empress Dowagers Ci'an and Cixi issued an order promoting Lady Silin-Gioro to "Imperial Concubine Jin" (瑨嬪). In 1895, acting on Empress Dowager Cixi's order, the Guangxu Emperor promoted Lady Silin-Gioro to "Consort Jin" (瑨妃). Within the same year, she was honoured as a Noble Consort even though she did not hold that rank yet.

In 1908, after the Guangxu Emperor's death, Lady Silin-Gioro was honoured with the title "Dowager Noble Consort Jin" (皇考瑨貴妃) in an imperial decree issued in the name of Puyi, the Guangxu Emperor's successor. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, Puyi and members of the imperial clan were allowed to retain their noble titles and continue living in the Forbidden City. On 12 March 1913, Puyi honoured Lady Silin-Gioro with the title "Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Ronghui" (皇考榮惠皇貴太妃). On 21 November 1924, Puyi and the imperial family were forced to leave the Forbidden City.

Lady Silin-Gioro died at around 1900 hours on 18 May 1933. Puyi granted her the posthumous title "Imperial Noble Consort Dunhui". On 15 March 1935, she was interred in the Huiling Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs.