Nguyễn Phúc Miên Định


Nguyễn Phúc Miên Định, born Nguyễn Phúc Yến, was a prince of Nguyễn dynasty, Vietnam.

Life

He was the third son of Minh Mạng, and his mother was Phạm Thị Tuyết. He was granted the title Thọ Xuân Công and appointed Right Director of Imperial Clan Court in 1830. He was elevated to Left Director in 1865. In 1880, he was elevated to Thọ Xuân Vương. After Tự Đức's death, he was named as regent together with Nguyễn Phúc Miên Trinh to assist the new emperor Dục Đức, but they wielded little power.
In 1885, Tôn Thất Thuyết launched a failure ambush against French colonists, and escaped from Huế together with Emperor Hàm Nghi. During the emperor's absence, Miên Định was appointed as puppet "Prince Regent" by French general Henri Roussel de Courcy. Nguyễn Hữu Độ, Phan Đình Bình and Nguyễn Văn Tường were appointed as Grand Secretaries in the same time. He allowed his two brothers, Nguyễn Phúc Miên Trinh and Nguyễn Phúc Miên Triện to come back to Huế. In September, de Courcy exiled Tường to Poulo Condore, and installed Đồng Khánh as new emperor. Miên Định retired. He died in the next year, and received the posthumous name Đoan Khác.
Miên Định fathered 144 children, including 78 sons and 66 daughters.

As a poet

Miên Định also a poet. He was a member of Mạc Vân thi xã. Nguyễn Phúc Miên Thủ, Nguyễn Phúc Miên Thẩm, Nguyễn Phúc Miên Trinh, Nguyễn Phúc Miên Bửu, Nguyễn Phúc Miên Triện, Nguyễn Văn Siêu, Cao Bá Quát, Hà Tôn Quyền, Phan Thanh Giản and Nguyễn Đăng Giai were also members of this poetry society.