The Stolen Queen

In the novel, Davis models her fictional female pharaoh, Hathorkare, after a historical figure: Hatshepsut, a woman who reigned as a female pharaoh during the 18th dynasty in ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut likely lived from around 1507 BCE to 1458 BCE; she was the daughter of the pharaoh Thutmose I. As was common among Egyptian royal families, Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thutmose II. There is some speculation that the marriage between Hatshepsut and Thutmose II was intended to solidify his claim to the throne. Thutmose II, like most pharaohs, had numerous wives and concubines; his son and heir, Thutmose III, was born to a secondary wife, whereas Hatshepsut was born to his “Great Royal Wife” (the wife with the highest status).

Around 1479 BCE, Hatshepsut’s husband (and half-brother) died, and the throne passed to Thutmose III (her stepson and nephew). Since Thutmose III was only around two years old, he required a regent to rule on his behalf, and Hatshepsut became co-regent. However, within a few years (likely around year seven of the rule of Thutmose III), Hatshepsut seems to have assumed the full role of the pharaoh (a status that was considered semi-divine). Iconography and inscriptions depict her with traditional pharaonic attributes, including masculine attire and a beard. At times, Hatshepsut combined both masculine and feminine imagery and attributes to draw on Egyptian traditions of powerful mother goddesses and present herself as a figure who could function as both mother and father to the land of Egypt.

Hatshepsut presided over peace and stability in Egyptian history: The large-scale Karnak Temple Complex and a huge mortuary temple that would serve as her final resting place were both completed during her reign and remain some of the most famous sites associated with ancient Egyptian history. Hatshepsut’s reign ended in about year 22 of the rule of Thutmose III. Some time after her death, a concerted campaign to erase her memory was carried out: Images of her were removed or defaced, and some of her achievements were attributed to other pharaohs. As Davis depicts in the novel, scholars and Egyptologists have had to subsequently research to understand how Hatshepsut may have been perceived during her reign. While the motivations for her erasure are not entirely understood, many experts suspect that Amenhotep II, who succeeded Thutmose III as pharaoh, carried out the campaign. Dating suggests that attempts to wipe out Hatshepsut’s legacy were carried out around the time Amenhotep II became co-ruler alongside his father, as he was preparing to cement his claim to succeed as pharaoh. Trying to undermine Hatshepsut’s legacy may have helped him secure his claim to the throne.

Hatshepsut is a significant figure not only in Egyptian history but also in Egyptology. In 1903, the British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter (who would later become famous for discovering the almost perfectly intact tomb of Tutankhamun) discovered a tomb (KV20) that was likely intended to be Hatshepsut’s burial place; it contained a sarcophagus and canopic jars (jars where organs were stored after being removed during the mummification process) but no mummies. A different tomb, KV60, was discovered containing two mummies, one of which some experts believe is the mummified body of Hatshepsut. Davis incorporates elements of these discoveries and debates into her novel as well.