Princess Der Ling

Born Yü Der Ling in Wuhan on June 8, 1881, she was the daughter of the diplomat Yü Keng and grew up in a family shaped by both Chinese and Western influences. She studied French and English, spent part of her youth in Europe, and was educated in ways that were uncommon for girls of her generation.

After returning to China, she served as a lady-in-waiting and interpreter for Empress Dowager Cixi, remaining at court until 1905. Although she was not born into the Qing imperial family, she became widely known as "Princess" Der Ling, a title that stayed with her for the rest of her life.

She later married the American Thaddeus C. White and wrote memoirs and articles based on her court experience, including Two Years in the Forbidden City in 1911. Those books made her one of the best-known interpreters of late Qing court life for English-language readers, blending personal memory, political drama, and cross-cultural observation.