Mỹ Đường was the eldest son of Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Cảnh, and his mother was Tống Thị Quyên.
[1] At that time, Emperor Gia Long was on his deathbed and had not appointed an heir since the death of his eldest son Cảnh.
[2] In 1824, Mỹ Đường was accused of incest with his mother, Tống Thị Quyên, by mandarin Lê Văn Duyệt.
[3] In 1833, Lê Văn Khôi revolted against the royal court in Southern Vietnam, fighting for Mỹ Đường's claim to the throne .
His eldest son, Lệ Chung, was designated as Mỹ Thùy's heir to offer sacrifices to Prince Canh.