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| The Queens of Egypt |
The queens of Egypt, for the
most part, have been relegated to less fame
behind their regal husbands, however, many have
quite interesting histories in their own right.
| The queens of Egypt
include a woman who dressed as a man,
another who is still famed today for her
beauty and many who stand out in the
history of Egypt for their unique
contributions. |
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| Cleopatre |
Cleopatre, the most famous queen of Egypt, has become
a legend. Queen Cleopatra of
 Egypt
is well regarded as holding the title of the last
pharaoh of Egypt, before the land fell into the
hands of the aggressive Roman Empire. Like some
of the other queens of Egypt, she inherited the throne
at the death of her father, when she was only 18 years
old, along with her brother, younger than the new queen
by six years. Like many other queens of Egypt, Cleopatra
married her brother, however it is believed this
marriage was only a salute to Egyptian tradition.
Cleopatra immediately took hold of the throne and
proceeded to lead the nation on her own. One of the more
interesting facts about Cleopatra is that she was the
first ruler of her dynasty, consisting of the Ptolemy
family, to actually be able to speak the Egyptian
language, along with eight others. She was known to be
extremely intelligent and cunning. The end for Cleopatra
came when supporters of her younger brother and husband
decided she was far too independent and exiled her to
Syria. It was through her attempts to regain control of
the throne that she met both Julius Ceasar and
Mark Anthony, both of whom became her lovers. |
| Nefertiti |
Nefertiti, the wife of Akhenaten, is
also one of the most famous of the queens of Egypt.
Renowned for her beauty, numerous busts and status have
been found bearing Nefertiti's likeness. It is believed
that Nefertititi was the chief queen of Egypt during her
husband's reign, at least up until the twelfth year. The
mummy of Nefertiti remains missing. To date, only
jewelry bearing her insignia has been found. |
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| Hatsheput |
Unlike the two previously mentioned Egypt
queens, who were renowned for their
qualities of seduction and beauty, Hatsheput
preferred to dress in men's clothing in order to
prove her status as pharaoh. Upon the death of her
father, she married her half brother as was customary,
when he acceded to the throne. Within a very short time
period, he died as well and Hatshepsut was left to rule
with her very young nephew, the son of her brother and
husband by another wife. Her rule continued successfully
for some fifteen years, when she mysteriously vanished.
It is thought that her nephew and his advisor might have
plotted her death as he came of age. The mystery of her
deaths seems destined to remain just that, as no tomb or
mummy related to Hatsheput has been found.
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