Queen Heonae

The future Queen Heonae was born in 964 as the second (formally oldest) daughter of Wang Uk[3] from his wife–formerly half sister, Lady Ryu.[4] She had three brothers and a younger sister who would became the biological mother of the 8th ruler, King Hyeonjong.[5] As her parents were all died young, so she and her siblings were raised by their paternal grandmother, Queen Sinjeong. By then, she and her younger sister followed Sinjeong's Hwangbo clan (Korean: 황보; Hanja: 皇甫) of Hwangju, which they used the clan even after married their half first cousin. Beside that, not much records left about the young queen's life.

Alongside her younger sister, they entered King Gyeongjong's palace not long after his ascension and she became his third queen consort. Shortly after this, the new queen became pregnant and Gyeongjong was said to be very happy at this time since he didn't have any heirs even already had two queens, so it was a concern and at the same time as she became pregnant, she became his favorite one. Finally, she gave birth into their oldest son (Wang Song) which made the king more delighted.

In 981, King Gyeongjong died and her second older brother, Wang Chi succeeded her husband's throne over her son who was still 2 years old at that time.[5] The Queen then leaving the palace and stayed outside from there. The new king, who tried to make Confucianism became the state religion, emphasized purity and chastity towards his two younger sisters. Later on, Seongjong who had no son, granted the order that his nephew, Wang Song to be his successor and took him to the palace with raised him like his own son. Wang Song then ascended the throne in 997 after his maternal uncle's death and choose his mother to became his regent. She then stayed in "Cheonchu Hall" (천추전, 千秋殿), Cheonchu Palace (천추궁, 千秋宮) and which she more better known as Queen Mother Cheonchu (천추태후, 千秋太后).

Meanwhile, after King Gyeongjong's death, the queen mother met Gim Chi-yang (김치양, 金致陽) who came from the Dongju Gim clan and became a Monk early on. Often meet together, she came to sympathize him, but her older brother forbade their meeting. However, she still secretly met Gim, which then publicly known and caused a riot in the palace, but Seongjong hurried ended the case and calm down peoples by send Gim to exile.

As a queen mother and regent, she summoned Gim to the palace and appointed him as a government official. Under her patronage, Gim promoted repeatedly to the position that was in charge of both financial and personnel rights while conferred enormous power. In addition, he implemented a policy of giving preference to the western (서경, 西京; the queen mother's hometown), built conduits and temples in various places, such as established Seongsu Temple (성수사, 星宿寺) in Dongju, his birthplace.

Shortly thereafter, in 1003 (or before), they eventually had a son together and Gim then conspired to set his own son on the throne succeed the childless King Mokjong.[6] For this reason, the queen mother and Gim tried to kill her own nephew, Wang Sun as much as possible who was an obstacle to their young son's accession, but failed every time.

Although Wang Sun's birth was unusual, but as his father was a son of Goryeo's founder too, so Wang Sun able to live under King Seongjong's extreme protection when the king was still alive. However, Sun's life became threatened when the king died due to an illness. Even after Mokjong reached the majority, the queen mother still became his regent and held the biggest power in the court, alongside Gim. Meanwhile, it was believed that the queen mother forced Wang Sun leave the royal palace by cutting his hair and tried to kill him by sending people several times after that.

When Gim burned Manwoldae, a royal palace to the ground, threatened to kill the King and take over, King Mokjong called General Gang Jo to the capital city and Gang immediately executed Gim and his supporters. Then, the scholar officials, who was enemies of Gang, spread rumors and lies that the general was planning to take over the government for himself. These rumors reached the King and he planned to kill Gang. Gang Jo who heard of the conspiracy and doubts of the King, ordered his army to attack and kill all of his enemies, including the king.

General Gang Jo then led a coup occurred to her and dethroned King Mokjong while placed Wang Sun on the throne. They got exiled, but Mokjong was assassinated by his subordinates in Jeokseong-myeon, Paju-si on the way to Chungju, their detention site. As a result, the Queen mother was completely overthrown from the Goryeo politics in 1009 and General Gang alongside his allies appointed her nephew, Wang Sun as the new King and ruler of Goryeo.

Sooner, she was released from exile and lived in Hwangju for 21 years, then returned to the royal palace on King Hyeonjong's 20th year reign (1029). She then died at 66 years old in her chamber, "Sungdeok Palace" (숭덕궁, 崇德宮) in Gaegyeong.[7] Meanwhile, there was a theory said that she didn't get back to the palace and instead died in "Myeongbok Palace" while lived in Hwangju. She was later buried in Yureung tomb (유릉, 幽陵).[8]