Queen Hatsipsut

More about Queen Hatsipsut

Hatshepsut, like other pharaohs, was the child of a king. Unlike the others, she was a woman.

One of only a few female pharaohs in thousands of years of ancient Egyptian history, Hatshepsut didn’t inherit her rulership like a man would have—only sons were allowed to succeed their fathers. She was born around 1504 B.C., and when her father, King Thutmose I, died without sons, Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II, to help him become pharaoh.

When he died, his son—Hatshepsut’s stepson—became pharaoh, even though he was just three years old. Hatshepsut ruled in his name, but he was still considered the only pharaoh. But when Thutmose III was about eight years old, she took the throne herself and officially became his coruler around 1473 B.C. Some historians think she made the move because other people wanted to steal the throne, and she knew if they were both pharaohs they would be too powerful to overthrow. Hatshepsut and Thutmose III would rule together as pharaohs for the next 22 years.