Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt (c. 1507–1458 BC) was the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Thutmose II and later became the sixth pharaoh of the dynasty. She initially ruled as regent for her stepson Thutmose III but soon assumed the full powers of a pharaoh, reigning as queen regnant from c. 1479 to 1458 BC. Hatshepsut was Egypt’s second confirmed female ruler in her own right, following Sobekneferu of the 12th Dynasty.

Hatshepsut, the daughter of Thutmose I and his Great Royal Wife Ahmose, rose to power after the death of her husband and half-brother, Thutmose II. She first acted as regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III, who inherited the throne as a toddler. Within a few years, however, she assumed the full authority of pharaoh, adopting the complete royal titulary and ruling alongside him as co-regent.

To legitimize her authority within a male-dominated system, Hatshepsut embraced traditionally masculine roles and was often portrayed as a male pharaoh, with a strong physique and male regalia. At the same time, she emphasized her dual identity as both “mother and father” of Egypt, blending masculine and feminine qualities to reinforce her unique position.

Her reign was marked by prosperity and stability. She became one of Egypt’s greatest builders, commissioning ambitious projects such as the Karnak Temple Complex, the Red Chapel, the Speos Artemidos, and most famously, her Mortuary Temple at Deir el-Bahari.

Hatshepsut likely died in the 22nd year of Thutmose III’s reign. In the later years of his rule and under his successor, Amenhotep II, efforts were made to erase her memory from history: her statues were destroyed, her monuments defaced, and her accomplishments attributed to other pharaohs.