What do we call a female pharaoh?

What Do We Call a Female Pharaoh?

While ancient Egypt was predominantly ruled by men, there were rare and remarkable exceptions—women who rose to power not just as influential consorts, but as full-fledged pharaohs. The most successful of these was Hatshepsut, a woman who not only ruled but ruled boldly.

Daughter of Pharaoh Thutmose I and wife to her half-brother Thutmose II, Hatshepsut initially served as regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III. But rather than remain in the shadows, she took an unprecedented step: she declared herself pharaoh in her own right, reigning from around 1479 to 1458 BC. In art and inscriptions, she was often depicted in traditional pharaonic regalia, including the false beard and kingly headdress—asserting her divine authority without apology.

Hatshepsut’s reign was marked not by conquest, but by prosperity and monumental building. She commissioned the magnificent temple at Deir el-Bahari, a masterpiece of ancient architecture nestled into the cliffs near Thebes. Her rule brought stability and wealth to Egypt through trade, most notably a famous expedition to the land of Punt, which brought back myrrh, gold, and exotic animals.

While later rulers—including possibly Thutmose III—attempted to erase her legacy by defacing her monuments, the truth endured. We now recognize Hatshepsut not as an anomaly, but as one of Egypt’s most effective rulers. So, what do we call a female pharaoh? We call her Hatshepsut.