Beauty With Tragedy Named Ankhe-sen-amen

When you look at the AI generated picture, doesn’t she look like an absolute beauty? I was left awestruck when I first saw this picture on Facebook.

Born princess Ankhesenpateen, she was the third daughter of the Pharaoh Akhenaten’s known six daughters. Ankhesenamen was born around 1350 BC to King Akhenaten and his wife Queen Nefertiti. For over three thousands years, her life has been a mystery with bizarre facts and omissions to historians.

Ankhesenamun was also the great royal wife of Pharaoh Tutankhamun: his half brother. Yes , you read that right. She was married to her half brother. Incest was quite common in the Egyptian Royal families. In fact, it was not her first inter-family marriage and perhaps not even the last.

History suggests that Ankhesenamun had also served her father as a bride after the death of her mother Nefertiti. But it was before she married her brother. Historians believe that she was not alone, Akhenaten had also married Ankhesenamun's older sisters Meritaten and Meketaten, trying to conceive children with them.

Incestuous marriages were practiced in ancient Egyptian royal families with an aim to keep their sacred bloodline pure. These marriages also prevented outside contenders from legitimizing for the throne; as a result concentrating power in the royal family’s hands.

It was a custom for the Pharaohs to marry their daughters because they were considered “God”. They were also able to marry their sister. It is believed that Akhenaten had likely married his sibling Kia, producing Tutankhamen as a fruit of their marriage.

Having no understanding of genetics they were unable to grasp the dangers of inbreeding – and they paid the price. Many point to Tutankhamun as a victim of inbreeding. There is evidence that he was a clubfoot and had other congenital health issues.

Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun’s Reign together: Egypt’s Royal Teenagers

Ankhesenamun was married to her half brother at a young age when he was nine years old and Ankhesenamun a few years older. The two royal children likely grew up together in the royal palace. They lived in Amarna, a city that their father built until they moved onto the capital Thebes upon the death of Akhenaten. It was at this time that they changed their names from “Ankhesenpateen” and “Tutankhaten” to “Ankhesenamun” and “Tutankhamun” reflecting their acceptance of the God “Amun”.

“Ankhesenpateen” means “she lives for Aten” and “Ankhesenamun” means “she lives for Amun”. Their change of names demonstrates a religious turbulence in Egypt. Akhenaten had made it obligatory for him and his subjects to worship the Sun God Aten. Eventually after his death Egypt went back to worship their old Gods.

Sadly, the couple failed to produce an offspring. Two mummified fetuses were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Both of them were girls. One died at five months of gestation and the other between seven to nine months.

At the age of 19, Tutankhamun dies suddenly, leaving Ankhesenamun of 21 years alone in this world. The cause of his death has been a subject of debate. Some say it was due to her genetic dysfunctions while other theories also suggest that it could have been a blow to the head; likely a murder.

Queen Ankhesenamun – A Sorrowful Egyptian Queen:

Ankhesenamun was left a widow only at the age of 21. There is a possibility that she was eventually married to her maternal grandfather Ay.

History tells us that she was not willful for this marriage. Evidence of her sending a letter to the Hittite empire has been found where she asked from the Hittite Emperor Suppiluliuma I, one of his many sons to marry her, who would become the king of Egypt by marrying her. The Emperor had sent one of his sons as an answer to her letter but the prince and his travel group were killed at the border with Egypt. Unfortunately Queen Ankhesenamun was forced to marry Ay.

After this incident, Ankhesenamun disappears from history. No record of her death has been found yet. Ay had ruled Egypt for three years but no record of her has been found in those times. She died somewhere between 1325 BC and 1321 BC.