Hi,

Ankhesen Amun was born Princess Ankhesenpaaten sometime around 1350 B.C., the third of six daughters born to King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. For over three thousand years, much of her life has been a mystery, a fascinating patchwork of bizarre facts and strange omissions.

Though her story is remarkable in its own right, it’s Ankhesenamun’s half-brother who catapulted her to historical prominence: King Tutankhamun, or King Tut, is the most famous Egyptian pharaoh on the planet because of his intact, treasure-laden tomb found in 1922.

And Ankehsen Amun was his wife. Yes, you read that right: Ankhesenamun was both King Tut’s half-sister and his wife.

It was a different world. Egypt was experiencing dramatic religious upheaval, and a dynasty hung in the balance. Incestuous marriages among the ruling class was common.

In fact, Ankhesen Amun’s marriage to Tutankhamun might not have been her first inter-family marriage — or even her last.

Incest made sense to the ruling families of Ancient Egypt. Their power came with its own mythos; many believed — or at least publicly claimed — they were descended from gods.

Inter-family marriages, then, were about keeping a sacred bloodline pure. They also concentrated power in the royal family’s hands, effectively delegitimizing other contenders for the throne.

With no understanding of genetics, they were incapable of grasping the dangers of incest — and they paid the price. Though his parentage is uncertain, many point to Tutankhamun as a victim of inbreeding, citing evidence of a clubfoot and other serious congenital health issues in his remains. Some have argued his parents were likely full siblings.

It was a fate Ankhesen Amun was destined to share.

Historians have discovered compelling evidence that the mysterious royal lady might, as a third daughter of the pharaoh, have served as a bride for her father, Akhenaten, after Queen Nefertiti died — but before she was married to her brother Tutankhamun.