Hetepheres II

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Hetepheres II
Hetepheres II
Hetepheres IIHetepheres II		Hetepheres II
Hetepheres II		Hetepheres II
Group of Hetepheres II and Meresankh III-30.1456-IMG 4560-white.jpg
Queen consort of Egypt
Tenurec. 2560 BC
Bornc. 2590 BC
Diedc. 2500 BC (aged c. 90)
Burial
Mastaba G 7350, Giza East Field (?) Mastaba G 7110-7120, Giza East Field (?)
Spouse Kawab
Djedefre
Issue Mindjedef
Meresankh III
Neferhetepes
Father Khufu
MotherPossibly Meritites I
Religion Ancient Egyptian religion

Hetepheres II (c. 2590 BC - c. 2500 BC) [1] was a queen of ancient Egypt during the 4th Dynasty.

Contents

Biography

Birth and family

Queen Hetepheres II may have been one of the longest-lived members of the royal family of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, which lasted from c. 2723 to 2563 BC. She was a daughter of Khufu [1] and was either born during the reign of her grandfather Sneferu or during the early years of her father's reign. She was named after her grandmother, Hetepheres I and she had an aunt named Hetepheres A. A fragmentary titulature found in the tomb of Meritites I may indicate that she was the mother of Hetepheres II.

Titles of Hetepheres II

Marriages

During the reign of Khufu, Hetepheres II married her brother, the Crown Prince Kawab, [2] with whom she had at least 2 children, a daughter named Meresankh III and a son named Mindjedef. After the death of her first husband, she married another of her brothers, Djedefre who later succeeded Khufu as king of Egypt.

She was widowed a second time when Djedefre died. The marriage of her daughter, Meresankh III, to her late second husband's successor Khafre made Hetepheres II the mother-in-law of the new king. She would later out-live Meresankh III. A mark of her affection for Meresankh III may be seen in the fact that Hetepheres II had her own mastaba in the eastern cemetery of Giza converted into a tomb for her daughter's use. Hetepheres II herself was probably buried in tomb G7350 even though she possessed a joint tomb with her first husband, Kawab (G7110 and 7120 respectively). [3]

While marriage within the royal family was common, multiple marriages to this extent was not. It has been suggested her subsequent marriage to Djedefre was honorary in nature and done in order to maintain her position at court. [4] She never produced an heir to the throne in her second marriage and was never given the title of King's Mother. [5]

Hetepheres finally died early in the reign of Shepseskaf, the son and successor of Menkaura, and had thus witnessed the reigns of at least five and perhaps six (if she was born during the reign of Sneferu) kings of the fourth Dynasty.

Children

Hetepheres II depicted as a sphinx, possibly the first, from Abu Rawash pyramid of Djedefre - Cairo Museum Sphinx of Hetepheres II - fourth dynasty of Egypt.jpg
Hetepheres II depicted as a sphinx, possibly the first, from Abu Rawash pyramid of Djedefre – Cairo Museum

Children with Kawab

Children with Djedefre

Possible children with Kawab

References

  1. 1 2 Aidan Dodson & Dyan Hilton, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson (2004), p. 57. ISBN   0-500-05128-3.
  2. ↑ Rice, Michael. Who's Who in Ancient Egypt , Routledge London & New York, (1999). p. 67. ISBN   0-415-15448-0.
  3. ↑ Dodson, p. 57.
  4. ↑ Tyldesley, Joyce. Chronicle of the Queens of Egypt. p. 46. Thames & Hudson. (2006). ISBN   0-500-05145-3.
  5. ↑ Tyldesley, p.46.
  6. 1 2 3 Porter and Moss, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings; Part III.
  7. ↑ Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, pg 72

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