Episode 12 of "The Queen Who Crowns" kicks off with the royal household steeped in sorrow, grappling with the young prince's fragile health. Amidst the queen's absence, each member strives diligently to uphold the palace's affairs and seek a turning point in the prince's condition. Yet, despite their unwavering dedication and heartfelt prayers, the young prince succumbs to his illness, his spirit fading into eternity.
As the royal family converges to bid him a poignant farewell, the crown prince remains absent, engrossed in a hunting expedition. His return is met with a household shrouded in mourning, and the king, eyes brimming with tears, reproaches him severely for his absence during this crucial time. Later, after performing the solemn rites for his deceased brother, the crown prince's grief overflows, tears streaming down his face in an uncontrollable flood.
The queen, momentarily finding solace from her profound sorrow, convenes with the crown prince to broach the subject of his deposition. Without a moment of hesitation, he accepts his fate gracefully, pledging to nurture a bond of unity with his younger brother and urging the king to appoint his junior sibling, the future Se-jong, as the next heir apparent.
Despite the crown prince's demotion, the king initially intends to uphold tradition by naming his eldest son as the successor. However, the queen orchestrates a private conference between the former crown prince and the king within her chambers. During this intimate exchange, the deposed prince earnestly pleads with his father to reconsider and acknowledge his younger brother as the rightful heir. He reiterated his unwavering loyalty to his sibling and solemnly vows never to repeat the missteps of his past.
Ultimately, Se-jong is crowned prince, heralding a future where he will reign with justice and wisdom. Many decades hence, he ascends the throne, embodying the virtues his parents had instilled in him. In the meantime, the king and queen, having navigated the treacherous waters of palace intrigue, retreat to the tranquility of the countryside, seeking solace far from the throne room's machinations.
As they contemplate their return to the city of their youth, fate takes a turn for the worse when the queen is stricken with malaria. In a poignant gesture, she entrusts the king with a letter she penned upon leaving the palace after Pan-su's untimely demise, a testament to her unwavering love for Bang-won, royalty or no royalty. Determined to grant her dying wish of revisiting their humble beginnings, the king makes valiant efforts, only to be thwarted by her failing health.
Reluctantly, they convey her back to the palace, transforming it into a stage for an epochal farewell. Amidst the grandeur, the king bids her adieu with the reverence due to a woman who played an indispensable role in shaping their nation's destiny. The poignant chapter concludes with the queen's passing, her final moments filled with the sight of Se-jong donning a mask and dancing for her one last, heart-wrenching time.
The closing scene unveils a poignant irony: despite being one of Korea's most influential figures, Queen Won-gyeong's name remains conspicuously absent from the official annals of history.
