Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I and became Great Royal Wife to her half-brother Thutmose II. When he died around 1479 BC, she served as regent for her stepson Thutmose III, who inherited the throne at two years old. Several years in, she assumed the title of pharaoh herself, adopting full royal regalia and presenting herself as male in official depictions—false beard, masculine dress, the works—to anchor her authority in a system built for men. Her twenty-year reign brought prosperity, peace, and a building spree: the Karnak Temple Complex, the Red Chapel, and the great terraced temp…