Queen Nefertiti seems to have been aptly named, as the discovery of her now iconic bust in 1912 elevated her to the position as one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived. Literally meaning ‘a beautiful woman has come’, Nefertiti is the pinnacle of female beauty, but a closer examination of her life – the little that we know – proves that she was far more than just a pretty face. She was unusually powerful for a woman at the time and reigned alongside her husband, Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV), during Ancient Egypt’s wealthiest period.

The circumstances of Nefertiti’s early life are a mystery, though there are two main theories as to her origin. One is that she was the daughter of a courtier and future pharaoh, Ay; the other that she was not of Egyptian birth at all, but a princess from Mitanni in modern-day Syria who was sent to marry the future Amenhotep IV. Nefertiti was likely aged around 14-15 when they married, possibly before the start of Amenhotep’s rule in c.1353 BC.

There is significant reason to believe that the relationship between Nefertiti and Amenhotep was genuinely affectionate – somewhat unusual for the time. She was named the ‘Great Royal Wife’ and granted other titles such as, ‘Lady of All Women’, ‘Great of Praises’, and ‘Sweet of Love’. Amenhotep dedicated a temple to her, and depictions of the couple frequently show them being affectionate, for example kissing in public. A possible reason for the affection is the fact that, in the first decade of their marriage, Nefertiti gave birth to six daughters – her fertility is clearly emphasised in carvings and artwork.

She was not just the pharaoh’s wife, however. She is often depicted performing kingly duties such as leading worship, and blocks recovered from Karnak and Hermopolis Magna show her smiting the enemies of Egypt.

Nefertiti’s power seemed to only grow after her husband established the cult of Aten in the fifth year of his reign, officially changing his name to Akhenaten. This move changed the religion of Egypt from polytheistic to a monolatry – the belief in the existence of many gods, but only one (Aten in this case) may be worshipped. The capital was moved from Thebes to Amarna, putting physical distance between his religion and the old one.

Public opinion was not consistently on Akhenaten’s side, but Nefertiti stood by him, also altering her name to reflect the new changes. She was now known as ‘Neferneferuaten Nefertiti’, meaning ‘beautiful are the beauties of Aten, a beautiful woman has come’.

We have a great number of images of Nefertiti from this time – a surprising number, considering how little we actually know about her life. This is because Akhenaten declared that the only way citizens could access Aten was through himself and Nefertiti, and he banned idols of the Aten. This led to wall reliefs becoming more naturalised, depicting the royal family rather than idealised images of deities. In them, Nefertiti is shown as a woman with great power; indeed, it’s almost as though Akhenaten went out of his way to display them as equals.

She was the Cleopatra of her time. Just as beautiful, just as wealthy, and just as powerful – if not more powerful.

Michelle Moran, author, about Nefertiti

This suggests that Akhenaten wanted his ‘Great Wife’ to be remembered as an important part of his reign. Further backing this up is the fact that she regularly wears her famous blue headdress – a pharaoh’s crown. By the twelfth year of Akhenaten’s reign, Nefertiti seems to have been elevated to co-ruler, enjoying unimaginable power.

However, around year twelve, Nefertiti vanishes completely from the record. Recent evidence suggests that she survived to the sixteenth year of Akhenaten’s reign, but there is still great speculation as to what truly became of her.

A popular – and credible – theory is that she outlived her husband, going on to rule alone as Nefernerfuaten. Some go a step further and suggest that, like Hatshepsut, she donned a male persona and became Smenkhkare, a short-lived pharaoh from the late 18th dynasty. Evidence of this latter theory is contentious, however. 

So much is unknown about Nefertiti, even up to her final resting place. Many possibilities have been put forward – Joann Fletcher of the University of York suggests that a mummy known as the ‘Younger Lady’, currently lying in the Egyptain Museum in Cairo, could be Nefertiti; a more recent theory posits that she in fact rests in a hidden tomb attached to that of Tutenkhamun. None have so far proved conclusive.

The one certainty we have about Nefertiti is what she looked like, thanks to the famous bust currently sitting in the Neues Museum in Berlin (Egypt have repeatedly demanded the bust be returned; they have frustratingly been refused). The slender neck, high cheekbones and almost-perfect symmetry cements her as one of the most beautiful women to have ever walked the earth.

Or does it? Recent CT scans have revealed that the royal sculptor, Thutmose, covered over a slightly less flattering image of the queen with wrinkles around the eyes and bumps on the nose. It’s possible that she was, as it were, ‘airbrushed’. 

In the grand scheme, however, this is not important. As has been proven, Nefertiti was an extraordinarily powerful woman – perhaps the most powerful woman in Ancient Egypt. She is now one of the most recognisable figures of the ancient world, and one of the most mysterious. We may never know the full truth about Nefertiti, but one thing is for sure – she will continue to fascinate, and the hunt for her will continue for many more years to come.

Sources:

• Wilkes, Jonny, ‘Secrets of Egypt’s Lost Queen’, BBC History Revealed, 33 (2016), 71-75
• Nefertiti – Queen, Bust & Death – Biography
• Nefertiti | Biography, Reign, & Facts | Britannica