Princess Deokhye of Korea was the last princess of the Korean Empire. She was born on 25 May 1912 at Changdeok Palace in Seoul. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Gojong and his concubine, then known as Yang Gui-in. Then, Emperor Gojong bestowed a royal title, Boknyeong, to Yang when she gave birth to Princess Deokhye. Princess Deokhye was not formally recognized as a princess by Japan until 1917, because she was not a daughter of the queen. In 1917, her name was formally entered into the Imperial Family's registry. Her father, Emperor Gojong, loved her greatly and established the Deoksu Palace Kindergarten for her in Junmyungdang, Hamnyeong hall. Girls her age from noble families attended the kindergarten. Princess Deokhye is called Deokhye Ongju in Korea, not Gongju. Gongju refers to the daughters of the queen, and Ongju refers to the daughters of concubines.
Birth and early life
She was born without a name but was given the name of Princess Seunghee on 25 May 1912, a daughter of Yang Gui-in and Emperor Gojong when he was 60 years old. Upon having no given name, she was ignored and was treated like she did not exist. She was then nicknamed "BoknyeongDang". In 1917, Emperor Gojong persuaded Terauchi Masatake, the then-ruling Governor General of Korea to enter her name into the registry of the imperial family, offering her legitimacy and granting her the title of princess. In 1919, Emperor Gojong planned the secret engagement between Princess Deokhye and Kim Jang-han, a nephew of Kim Hwangjin, a court chamberlain. Emperor Gojong had sought to protect his daughter from Japan through this engagement, but the engagement failed due to Japan's intervention. After the failed engagement, Kim Hwangjin was not permitted to enter Deoksu Palace and Emperor Gojong died suddenly on 21 January 1919. In 1921, Princess Deokhye went to Hinodae elementary school in Seoul.
In 1925, she was taken to Japan under the pretense of continuing her studies. Like her brothers, she attended the Gakushuin. She was described as silent, isolated and weak. Upon the news of her mother's death in 1929, she was finally given permission to visit Korea temporarily to attend her mother's funeral in 1930. However, she was not allowed to wear the proper clothing. In the Spring of 1930, upon the onset of psychological condition, she moved to King Lee's Palace, her brother Crown Prince Eun's house in Tokyo. During this period, she often forgot to eat and drink. Her physician diagnosed her illness as precocious dementia, but by the following year, her condition seemed to have improved. This may be attributed to her upbringing. In May 1931, after "matchmaking" by Empress Teimei, the consort of Emperor Taishō of Japan, she married Count Sō Takeyuki, a Japanese aristocrat. The marriage had in fact been decided in 1930; her brother had protested it, and it had been postponed because of her condition, but when she recovered, she was immediately given instructions that the marriage was to take place. She gave birth to a daughter, Masae, or Jeonghye in Korea, on 14 August 1932. In 1933, Deokhye was again afflicted with mental illness, and after this, she spent many years in various mental health clinics. With the defeat of Japan in World War II, Korea once again became independent and her husband lost his nobility title, as the peerage was abolished. The arranged marriage no longer made sense, and they became increasingly detached from one another, until they finally divorced in 1953. Takeyuki So is known to have remarried in 1955 to Japanese Yoshie Katsumura. Having suffered an unhappy marriage, Deokhye's grief was compounded by the loss of her only daughter who disappeared in 1956, reportedly committing suicide due to the stress of her parents' divorce. As a result, Deokhye's condition deteriorated at a slow yet considerable pace.
Return to Korea
She returned to Korea at the invitation of the South Korean government on 26 January 1962, after 37 years. At first, the Korean government refused to allow the return of the last royal bloodline, because president Lee Seung Man wanted to avoid political chaos. However, reporter Kim Eul Han found the princess and persuaded the Korean government to allow her return. She cried while approaching her motherland, and despite her mental state, accurately remembered the court manners. She lived in Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace, with Crown Prince and Princess Eun, their son Prince Gu, his wife Julia Mullock, and Mrs Byeon Bokdong, her lady-in-waiting. She died on 21 April 1989 at Sugang Hall, Changdeok Palace, and was buried at Hongryureung in Namyangju, near Seoul.
A biography for Princess Deokhye was published by Japanese author Yasuko Honma and was subsequently translated into Korean by Hoon Lee and published in 1996.
The best-selling novel Princess Deokhye by Kwon Bi-young was published in 2009.
Music
Singer Ho Shim-nam created a 1963 song based upon the life of Princess Deokhye.
Korean singer Heo Jinsul's 2010 song "The Rose of Tears" is based upon the life of Princess Deokhye, and was recorded in both English and Korean.
Theater
In 1995, a play based upon Princess Deokhye was held at the Seoul Art Center.
The 2013 Korean musical Deokhye, the Last Princess is based upon the life of Princess Deokhye.
