Trần Nhân Tông
According to "Đại Việt sử kí toàn thư", Phạm Ngũ Lão was born in 1255 in Phù Úng, Đường Hảo, Thượng Hồng (now Ân Thi, Hưng Yên). At the age of about 20, his talent was noticed by Prince Hưng Đạo Trần Quốc Tuấn who married his adopted daughter, Princess Anh Nguyên, to Phạm Ngũ Lão and also taught him about military knowledge so that he could become a capable general. After that, Prince Hưng Đạo recommended him for the Emperor Trần Nhân Tông who appointed him as commander of right division of the Royal Guard () in May 1290.