"... The most praised, the lady of grace, sweet in her love, who fills the palace with her beauty, the Regent of the North and South, the Great Wife of the King, the lady of both lands..."~Amenhotep IIII am Queen Tiy
THE NUBIAN QUEEN OF KEMET
1415-1340 B.C.
I was a princess of Nubian birth, and I married the Kemetan King Amenhotep III who ruled during the New Kingdom Dynasties around 1391BC.
My father, Yuya, was commander of the chariotry under Tuthmose IV. This particular occupation was actually new to the 18th dynasty, since at the beginning of that dynasty a standing army had been created in Egypt for the first time.
My mother, Thuya, was Superintendent of the Harem of Min of Akhmim and of Amun of Thebes during the reign of Thutmose IV, and was a descendant of Ahmose Nefertari, the first queen of the 18th dynasty.
In the 18th dynasty, the royal bloodline passed through the female royalty, and it took marriage to a descendent of Ahmose Nefertari to legitimize a pharaoh's kingship. Therefore, I am the Heiress Princess, next in line for the queenship
I held the title of "Great Royal Wife" and acted upon it following the end of my husband's reign.
That I have great ability and powerful influence is proved by association with my husband in all of his ceremonial records.
I am such an integral part of Kamite affairs that on more than one occasion foreign sovereigns appealed to me directly in matters of international significance.
I had seven children, four daughters, Sitamun, Isis, Henut-taneb, and Beketaten
It was I who held sway over Kemet during the reign of my three sons Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton), Smenkhare, and the famous child king Tut-ankh-amen.
I averted key national crises by becoming Secretary of State when my husband's physical and mental powers deteriorated with age; and redirected political decisions to my attention when my son Akenhaton neglected his political duties while preoccupied with his religious innovation.
