Empress Thừa Thiên (承天高皇后; 1762–1814), born Tống Thị Lan (宋氏蘭), was the first wife of Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (future Emperor Gia Long) and mother of Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Cảnh.
She was a daughter of general Tống Phước Khuông of Nguyễn lords. Nguyễn Ánh married her when he was at the age of 18. Empress Thừa Thiên had two sons with Gia Long: Nguyen Phuc Chieu (who died after several days) and Nguyễn Phúc Cảnh.
After her death, she was given the title of empress and buried at Gia Long's Thiên Thọ tomb.
Famous quotes containing the word empress:
“We never really are the adults we pretend to be. We wear the mask and perhaps the clothes and posture of grown-ups, but inside our skin we are never as wise or as sure or as strong as we want to convince ourselves and others we are. We may fool all the rest of the people all of the time, but we never fool our parents. They can see behind the mask of adulthood. To her mommy and daddy, the empress never has on any clothes—and knows it.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)