Prince Rong

Prince Rong of the First Rank, or simply Prince Rong, was the title of a princely peerage used in China during the Manchu-led Qing dynasty (1644–1912). As the Prince Rong peerage was not awarded "iron-cap" status, this meant that each successive bearer of the title would normally start off with a title downgraded by one rank vis-à-vis that held by his predecessor. However, the title would generally not be downgraded to any lower than a feng'en fuguo gong except under special circumstances. The first bearer of the title was Yongqi (1741–1766), the fifth son of the Qianlong Emperor. In 1765, he was awarded the status of a qinwang (prince of the first rank) by his father under the title "Prince Rong of the First Rank". The title was passed down over seven generations and was held by nine persons. "Prince Rong" may also refer the Shunzhi Emperor's unnamed fourth son (1657–1658), who died as an infant and was given the posthumous title "Prince Rong of the First Rank".