When we said we were going to make your ‘all things Korean’ journey easy at Hamkke, you didn’t think we were joking, right? Because we definitely aren't!

As a first-time Sageuk watcher, some things I usually struggle with are the styles, titles, and even forms of address in the royal family. It took me a while to get used to these titles and forms of address because if we are being sincere, the royal family can be large because of, extended relatives and even remaining relatives from previous reigns and even the fact that a rank and position can be peculiar to different people. It took me watching the K-Drama ‘Grand Prince' to know the difference between a prince and a Grand Prince (If you are new to the K-world, I am sure that just confused you too. Lol).

However, as I said earlier, our job is to help you navigate the Korean world successfully, and that’s why we have made this piece to tell you about some of the confusing titles and forms of address in the royal family. I am sure by now you know the pre-modern era of the Korean people included different dynasties, however, the longest and most talked about is the Joseon dynasty, which is what we are focusing on.

So here is a list of some of the Joseon royal family titles and forms of address.

The King

As you probably know, the king is the highest-ranking member of the royal family and also the head of the nation, who is always addressed as 주상 전하 (Jusang Jeonha or Jeonha). However, apart from the reigning king, other kings can exist. Yes! Hear me out. I am talking about kings who abdicated the throne willingly for a new king. Although this is uncommon in K-dramas, we saw something like that in the drama ‘Missing Crown Prince. These kings are known as King Emeritus, Grand King Emeritus, and more, depending on their time of reign, and are usually given honorary titles as it suits the reigning king. They are also addressed as Jeonha.

The Queen (consort)

First, let’s establish the fact that there’s a difference between a queen and a queen consort. While a queen is a reigning female monarch, a queen consort is the wife of a king. The queen consort is the modern-day ‘First Lady’ of the royal family and she’s the head of the internal court who oversees everything pertaining to the female members of the royal family. She’s addressed as 중전 마마 (Jungjeon Mama or Mama). Just like the King Emeritus, there can also be queen emeritus who are wives of abdicated kings. They are also given honorary titles and addressed as Mama.

The Crown Prince/ Princess

The crown prince is the crowned heir to the throne, usually addressed as 세자 저하 (Seja Jeoha). Although the crown prince is usually the firstborn of the reigning king by the queen consort, in unusual circumstances, the king’s brother can become the crown prince through strife or if the king is unable to produce an heir (or other circumstances) just like in ‘Grand Prince’. Other sons of the king can also become the crown prince in rare circumstances which include the death of the original crown prince just like what would have happened in ‘Under the Queen’s Umbrella', however, only the son of a king crowned as crown prince is addressed as Seja Jeoha.

The crown princess is the crown prince’s wife, and she is to become the future queen. The way she is addressed is different based on her husband’s position (Son or brother of the King). A direct crown princess is addressed as 왕세자빈 (Wangsejabin).

The Grand Prince (s)/ Princess(es)

While all the children of the King are royals and are referred to as princes and princesses, there are ranks among them. The children of the king born by the queen consort are referred to as grand princes and royal princesses based on their genders. However, other children of the king by concubines are referred to as princes and princesses. Grand Princes are referred to as 왕자 (Wangja) and Royal princesses are addressed as 왕녀 (Wangnyeo).

The spouse of a grand prince is called a Grand princess consort, while the spouse of a royal princess is called a prince consort.

Queen Dowager

The queen dowager which is commonly seen in all Sageuk, is the wife of a deceased king who lived through two reigns. She is usually addressed as 대비마마 (Daebi Mama). Apart from the queen dowager, there can also be others in the palace like the royal queen dowager, or the grand royal queen depending on how many reigns they have witnessed. Although their years of experience may give them the chance to take part in court and political affairs, especially as a regent during the reign of a young or powerless king, the queen consort remains the head of the internal court.

It’s been a long and exciting ride through the titles and forms of address of the Joseon royals. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

While we are still here, did you learn something new today? Tell us in the comments.