Deok Hye is a Korean princess whose life turned out to be scarier than any fairy tale.

In the real world, the life of princesses is not always a story with a happy ending. As an example, we can offer the fate of Tok-hye, the last Korean princess. She became a hostage of political games and experienced betrayal, loneliness and despair in full. And all this did not happen in the dark era of the Middle Ages, but in the progressive 20th century.

Princess Deokhye (or Daeohye) was the youngest daughter of Emperor Gojong, the 26th ruler of the Joseon Empire. Her mother, concubine Yang Gui-in, gave birth to a daughter for the monarch in 1912, receiving the honorary title of Boknyeon for this. This meant that the newborn girl, despite her origin, was recognized as a princess.

Emperor Gojong ignored his daughter for a long time. Until she was five years old, the girl was not included in the official lists of the imperial family at all. The courtiers treated her with some disdain and used informal addresses like Boknyeon-tan or onzhu. These words were more like nicknames than honorary titles, since they emphasized that the child was born from a concubine.

The people were not too fond of the little princess either. The Koreans loved their Queen Min, who was brutally murdered by the Japanese in 1895. Because of this, the daughter of the emperor by a concubine of humble origin did not inspire much respect among the people. It was not until 1917 that Kojong finally paid attention to the child. He personally ensured that the governor-general of the empire entered the name of his youngest daughter in the official register. This made the girl officially recognized as the heir to the monarch.

The Emperor's heart melted and he became genuinely attached to his youngest daughter. Tok-hye lived in the Changdeokgung Palace, where there was no one her own age around. The girl grew up quiet and sad. The father noticed that his daughter had no friends at all and decided to give her a wonderful gift. He organized a real kindergarten for children from aristocratic families at the palace. Thanks to this, the withdrawn Tok-hye was able to make friends and feel less lonely. But even her father's care could not protect her from the coming trials.

When Tok-hye was seven years old, her life once again entered a dark period. Relations between Korea and Japan had become strained, and the country was under threat of invasion. In order to protect his daughter, the Emperor decided to marry her off. However, the engagement was broken off at the last moment due to the intrigues of Japanese officials, who by that time had already gained strong influence in Korea. The young princess's fiancé, Kim Chang-han, was forever deprived of the right to appear at court.

A few months later, disaster struck: Emperor Kojong fell gravely ill. On January 21, 1919, he died in his palace, without having time to take care of his daughter's protection during the turbulent times. Rumors began to spread throughout the country that the monarch's illness was far from accidental. Many believed that the Japanese, who were seeking to seize power in Korea, had poisoned him.

Korea entered a period of anarchy, strife and civil war. While the struggle for power was going on, the Japanese were strengthening their position in the region. This was the third time they had ruled the Korean Peninsula. This period was called by the Japanese "Naisen ittai" ("The interior (Japan) and Korea are united").

Korea faced brutal repression. Punishments for protests were increased, Korean book publishers and newspapers were closed, and citizens were forced to change their names to Japanese ones. There was also persecution of culture and religion. Korean men were conscripted into the Japanese army or taken for forced labor. Women were forced to work in brothels intended for recreation for Japanese soldiers.

The imperial dynasty was a great danger to the occupiers. The desperate people could rally around them. Therefore, in 1925, Princess Tok Hye was separated from her mother and taken to Japan under the pretext of studying at a prestigious school. She was promised a return home, but these promises turned out to be empty. In Japan, the girl lived as if in a golden cage - formally she was honored, but in fact she was a hostage.

The Japanese authorities decided to use the princess as a symbol of Korea's submission, demonstrating that even the royal family had resigned itself to the occupation. Tok-hye was forced to assimilate: learn Japanese, wear a kimono, and follow foreign traditions. But the princess remained true to her Korean roots. She stubbornly refused to accept Japanese culture, emphasizing that she was Korean, not Japanese. It was her silent protest against oppression.

In a foreign country, Tok-hye had no friends and became increasingly withdrawn. Five years later, another tragedy occurred: the princess's mother died. The girl was allowed to return to Korea for a short time to say goodbye to her only close person. She did not even suspect that this trip would turn into another mockery. The princess was not allowed to attend her mother's farewell, citing a far-fetched pretext - allegedly her appearance did not meet official requirements.

The years spent away from home took a toll on the princess's mental health. Constant stress, homesickness, and the realization of her powerless position led to serious mental health problems.

In the spring of 1930, it became clear that the princess was a sleepwalker. At night, she wandered around the house, bumping into things. The girl was sent to Tokyo for examination. Doctors diagnosed her with early dementia. By this time, Tok-hye had become very ill. She often did not understand where she was or what was happening to her.

As a treatment, Japanese doctors prescribed the princess to take a lot of walks in the fresh air. Her condition played into the hands of the occupiers, since it eliminated the heiress from the political arena. The princess was placed in a small palace in Tokyo, where her older brother Euimin lived. Communication with her brother was good for the girl, and she began to recover. To the disappointment of those who wished her harm, within a year there was no trace of mental disorders.

But no one was going to leave the heir to the Lee dynasty alone. In 1931, the Japanese Empress Teimei decided to marry the Korean princess. Of course, a groom was chosen from among the Japanese. He was the aristocrat Takeyuki So. The wedding was scheduled for May, but Tok-hye tried her best to postpone the wedding. She complained of health problems, and the wedding took place only a few months later.

On August 14, 1932, the couple's only daughter, Masae, was born. It seemed that the princess's life was getting better, but this was only a superficial impression. The family lacked love and warmth. For the aristocrats of Korea and Japan, this was considered normal, but Tok-hye, with her fragile psyche, had a hard time with this state of affairs.

Her husband was not a bad person and did not offend her. Yes, he was often carried away by other women, but he tried to provide his wife and daughter with everything they needed and surround them with comfort. But there was something else that repelled Tok-he from Takeyuki. Her husband was an ardent Japanese nationalist and persistently tried to impose his views and values on his wife and daughter.

He demanded that they wear kimonos, speak only Japanese at home, and strictly follow the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. The man convinced them that such adaptation would make life easier for Tok Hye and Masae in a foreign land. Perhaps there was some sense in his words, but the princess ardently preserved her love for her homeland. She never tired of emphasizing that she remained Korean, not Japanese, and was proud of it.

The princess ignored requests to wear Japanese clothes and celebrate local holidays. In fact, she gave her daughter a middle name, the Korean Ching Hai. Two years into their marriage, in 1933, Tok Hye's mental state deteriorated sharply, probably due to constant stress and feelings of isolation. She began to wander in her sleep again at night, often falling into a stupor. Eventually, the princess could no longer cope with everyday activities, and a nurse was assigned to look after her. After that, she was isolated from her daughter.

Since the princess's condition did not improve, she was placed in a psychiatric hospital. Tok-hye spent fifteen years there. During this time, the daughter grew up in the Takeyuki So family, where she was raised as a Japanese. Gradually, Masae began to ask questions about her mother, but the truth was carefully hidden from her.

Tok-hye managed to leave the mental hospital thanks to a faithful servant who had once come with her from Korea. The princess returned to her husband and daughter, but the fact that Masae had become a true Japanese deeply hurt her heart. She tried to change her daughter's views, but it was too late.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, Korea gained independence, and Tok-hye's husband lost his noble title. Their marriage, originally concluded for political reasons, lost its meaning. The couple began to live separately, but officially divorced only in 1953. Takeyuki almost immediately remarried, his daughter had her own life, and Tok-hye was left alone in a country she hated. The princess found herself in a dead end - without a family, without a homeland, without hope for a better future.

In 1956, Tok-hye suffered another blow: her daughter committed suicide, unable to cope with a divorce and an identity crisis. The tragedy plunged the princess into madness again. This time, the illness was especially severe: she stopped recognizing people and even forgot her own name. She spent many years in a psychiatric clinic, where her condition sometimes improved, then worsened again. Doctors were powerless, because the main cause of the illness was not a medical pathology, but a deep mental trauma caused by separation from her homeland.

The South Korean government, fearing political unrest, did not allow the princess to return to her homeland for a long time. Only in 1962, thanks to journalist Kim Han-eul, did Tok-hye manage to set foot on her native soil again after 37 years of exile. By that time, Korea was divided into North and South, and no trace remained of the former empire. The princess, once capable of becoming a symbol of Korean independence, returned home sick and completely broken.

The moment of return was full of deep emotions. The princess could not hold back her tears when she stepped onto her native land, and despite her illness, she even began to remember court etiquette. She spent the last years of her life in the Changdeokgung Palace, where she was once born. But it was no longer a luxurious imperial palace, but rather a museum preserving memories of the past. Tok Hye lived quietly and unnoticed, avoiding public attention.

Despite the warm welcome in her historical homeland, the last years of Tok-hye's life were filled with loneliness and illness. Tok-hye's health was seriously undermined by years of deprivation and stress. In her last years, she suffered from Alzheimer's disease and rarely left her home. Tok-hye died on April 21, 1989, in the Shugan Pavilion of Changdeokgung Palace, at the age of 76. She never found the happiness that usually awaits fairy-tale princesses at the end of the story.

The story of Princess Tok-hye became a symbol of the tragic fate of the Korean people during the Japanese occupation. Her life reflected all the suffering of the nation - the loss of independence, forced assimilation, separation from her homeland and loved ones.

Today, the memory of the princess is carefully preserved in Korea. Her story inspired the creators of the drama “Princess Deok-hye” (The Last Princess) (2016), which introduced a new generation to the fate of the last princess of the Joseon Dynasty. Although the film had many historical inaccuracies, it played its role and the people of Korea accepted the last princess, who always remained a patriot of her country. Her story became part of Korean cultural memory - a warning about the consequences of losing independence.

Deok-hye's story is about a person who, despite pain and loss, remained true to herself. Her life shows that even in the darkest times, you can find the strength to resist and remain yourself. Do you think Princess Deok-hye's fate could have been different if Korea had remained independent? Share your thoughts in the comments!