Empress Guo

Empress Guo (1012 – 10 December 1035 ) was a Chinese empress consort of the Song Dynasty, married to Emperor Renzong of Song.

Guo was from Yingxiang and the granddaughter of the regional commandant Guo Chong. She was chosen for the position as Empress consort for the child Emperor Renzong by the Regent Dowager Empress Liu on 24 December 1024. Guo was ignored by Renzong, who preferred the palace woman Zhang.

In April 1033, her protector Empress Dowager Liu died, and Emperor Renzong was free to govern. Furious at the late Empress Dowager Liu for having passed herself off as his mother, he turned against her former allies, who now formed around Empress Guo. Empress Guo managed to have Grand Chancellor Lü Yijian exiled, but within a year, he returned and encouraged the emperor to divorce her. Empress Guo died a mysterious death in December 1035. Two months later, on 12 February 1036, Emperor Renzong restored Guo to the rank of Empress and she was buried on 17 February.