[6] In the ninth month of 1138, the ill emperor decided to make Lý Thiên Tộ his successor and demote Lý Thiên Lộc to Prince Minh Đạo (Vietnamese: Minh Đạo vương) after a campaign launched by three other concubines of the Emperor, Ladies Cảm Thánh, Nhật Phụng and Phụng Thánh, who were afraid that the coronation of a concubine's son would threaten their positions in the royal family.
After changing the era name to Thiệu Minh, he elevated his mother (Lady Cảm Thánh) to Empress Emeritus Lê Thị of the Lý dynasty.
Since he had attained the throne at such a young age, the child emperor was ruler in name only, with the real power in Empress Lê Thị, who acted as regent for her son.
[15] Lý Anh Tông was also considered the first emperor of Đại Việt to promote Buddhism as the state religion.
[19] The decision of Lý Anh Tông was criticized by the historians Ngô Sĩ Liên and Lê Văn Hưu, who argued that instead of accepting the offer, the Emperor should have opened another campaign to punish the kingdom of Champa.
[23] Originally holding only military positions in the royal court, Tô Hiến Thành not only helped the Emperor to improve the quality of the Lý army, but he also paid attention to the development of Confucian learning in the country.
[24] In 1164, the relationship between the Lý dynasty and the Song dynasty significantly changed when the Emperor Xiaozong of Song decided to acknowledge Đại Việt as the Kingdom of Annam (An Nam quốc), which had been formerly designated the District of Giao Chỉ (Giao Chỉ quận), by his predecessors.
[22][25] Vân Đồn The principal port of trade between Đại Việt and China was also opened in 1149 by order of Lý Anh Tông.