Yonghuang

Yonghuang (Manchu: ᠶᠣᠩᡥᡠᠸᠠᠩ; born 5 July 1728 – died 21 April 1750) was an imperial prince of the Qing dynasty, which was established by the Manchu-led dynasty in China. He was a member of the Aisin Gioro clan, the imperial house of the Qing dynasty. Yonghuang was the eldest son of the Qianlong Emperor and his consort was Imperial Noble Consort Zhemin.

Born in 1728, Yonghuang’s early life details are limited. His mother, Imperial Noble Consort Zhemin, died during his early childhood. In 1748, during a period when the Qianlong Emperor was conducting an inspection tour in southern China, his first empress consort, Empress Xiaoxianchun, passed away. Yonghuang was appointed to oversee the funeral arrangements for the empress.

Following events related to mourning practices, Yonghuang and his third brother, Yongzhang (born 1735, died 1760), did not display mourning behaviors deemed sufficiently respectful by the imperial standards. The Qianlong Emperor, upon learning of their conduct, was displeased and issued reprimands to both princes. Consequently, Yonghuang and Yongzhang were removed from the list of potential successors to the throne.

Yonghuang died relatively young in 1750 at the age of 21. The Qianlong Emperor expressed regret over the earlier sanctions against his eldest son but noted that it was too late to alter the decisions. Posthumously, Yonghuang was honored with the title "Prince Ding'an of the First Rank" (鼎安亲王).

His family included his consorts and children. His primary consort was of the Ilari clan, with whom he had his first son, Miande (born 11 August 1747, died 17 November 1786), who held the title Prince of the Fourth Rank. He also had a secondary consort from the Irgen Gioro clan, with whom he fathered his second son, Mian'en (born 18 September 1747, died 18 July 1822), who was titled Prince Dinggong of the First Rank.

In modern popular culture, Yonghuang has been portrayed in television dramas, notably by actor Ding Qiao in the 2018 production "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace."

References for this biography include the "Draft History of Qing" (Qing Shi Gao), Volume 221, authored by Zhao Erxun in 1928.