Life

Family background

Imperial Noble Consort Duanke was a member of a prominent Manchu Tunggiya clan. Her personal name wasn't recorded in history.

Father: Yuxiang（裕祥), served as a leader of imperial guards (头等侍卫 Tóuděng shìwèi).

Daoguang era

Imperial Noble Consort Duanke was born on 3 December 1844 in Jinling (present day Nanjing).

Xianfeng era

Lady Tunggiya entered the Forbidden City in 1858 at the age of fourteen, and was granted the title "Concubine Qi" (棋嫔). According to the poem "鸿称通用「 (」Swangoose sees through needs") of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, "qi" means "fortune". Her residence in the Forbidden city was Palace of Celestial Favor (承乾宫 Chéng gān gōng).

Tongzhi era

In November 1861, Concubine Qi was promoted to "Consort Qi" (棋妃). According to the medical records, lady Tunggiya suffered from depression and anemia in 1862. She moved to the Eastern Longevity palace as a concubine of former emperor. In December 1874, Conosrt Qi was promoted to "Noble Consort Qi" (棋贵妃).

Guangxu era

In 1908, Noble Consort Qi was promoted to "Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Qi" (棋皇贵太妃) by Empress Dowager Cixi.

Xuantong era

In 1910, lady Tunggiya fell critically ill before the sacrificial ceremony performed in Jingshan eastern grieving palace. She died on 7 May 1910. She was posthumously honoured as "Imperial Noble Consort Duanke" (端恪皇貴妃). Her newly created golden insignia were presented in front of the coffin by he suggestion of the Ministry of Rites, as it was done for Qianlong Emperor's Noble Consort Xin. In 1911, Imperial Noble Consort Duanke was interred in Ding Mausoleum in Eastern Qing tombs.

Titles

• During the reign of the Daoguang Emperor (r. 1820–1850):

　• Lady Tunggiya (from 3 December 1844)

• During the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850–1861):

　• Concubine Qi (棋嫔; from 1858), fifth rank consort

• During the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1861–1875):

　• Consort Qi (棋妃; from November 1861), fourth rank consort

　• Noble Consort Qi (棋贵妃; from December 1874), third rank consort

• During the reign of the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875–1908):

　• Dowager Imperial Noble Consort Qi (棋皇贵太妃; from 1908)

• During the reign of Xuantong Emperor (r. 1908–1912)

　• Imperial Noble Consort Duanke (端恪皇貴妃; from 1910)

家世

她出身的鑲黃旗滿洲佟佳氏佟國綱一支是清初著名的旗人勛舊世家。順治帝孝康章皇后、康熙帝孝懿仁皇后和愨惠皇貴妃，以及道光帝孝慎成皇后也出自這一支，門第非同凡響。她甚至是處于世家大宗的身份，堂兄三等公堃林尚咸豐帝弟惇勤親王奕誴的第五女為妻。

生平

佟佳氏於道光二十四年（1844年）十月二十四日，在金陵（今南京）出生。咸豐八年（1858年）二月初三日奉硃批，「頭等侍衛裕祥之女著封為祺嬪，候補員外郎桂祥之女著封為玉貴人，均于三月二十五日進內，欽此。」根據內務府《鴻稱通用》裡的記載，「祺」字的滿文意思為為「福分」、「福祉」。同年十二月二十四日，承乾宮祺嬪接冊。

咸豐十一年 (1861年) 十月初十日，同治帝晉尊皇考大行皇帝祺嬪晉封為祺妃，居壽東宮。根據清宮醫案記載，守寡之後的佟佳氏大體上還算健康，但是分別患過風溫咽痛、鬱症、血風瘡等病症。其中鬱症尤其引人注意。想到她在十八歲便開始守寡，患上這種病症似乎也合情合理。同治十三年（1874年）十一月十六日，光緒帝尊封為祺貴妃。光緒三十四年（1908年）十一月十八日，宣統帝尊封為祺皇貴太妃。宣統二年（1910年）三月二十八日，祺皇貴太妃在景山東側的臨時殯宮吉安所內逝世，享年六十七歲；五月諡曰：端恪皇貴妃，五月十二日，金棺奉移暫安處。尊封典禮尚未舉行便因病亡故。當時她的金冊和金寶已造成，禮部官員便參考乾隆朝忻貴妃的先例，奏稱應在褀皇貴太妃金棺前用綵亭陳設她的金冊和金寶，至大上墳禮致祭日，將金冊和金寶上交與廣儲司，絹冊和絹寶于是日焚化。

宣統三年（1911年）九月二十一日，葬入地宮定陵妃園寢。端恪皇貴妃是咸豐帝所有后妃中最後去世者，亦是最後入葬定陵妃園寢者。

宣統皇帝曾為她製作一枚銀璽，現藏天津博物館。

注釋