Ancient Egypt

Titles: Hereditary Princess (iryt-p`t), Great of Praises (wrt-hzwt), King’s Mother (mwt-niswt), Great King’s Wife (hmt-niswt-wrt), Great King’s Wife, his beloved (hmt-niswt-wrt meryt.f),, God’s Wife (hmt-ntr), Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt (hnwt-Shm’w T3-mhw) (Grajetzki)

Queen Isis was not a high ranking woman at court. She was a lower ranking wife of King Tuthmosis II and the mother of Tuthmosis III. At court she must have lived in the shadow of the great Queen/Pharaoh Hatshepsut.
Isis was given the title of Great King’s Wife by her son, and the title of God's Wife after her death. Isis is known from a beautiful statue.

Isis is  depicted on a pillar in the tomb of her son Tuthmosis III (see below). She is shown standing behind him in a papyrus boat. She is identified as the mother of the King, Isis. Her name is interestingly enough not written in a cartouche.


Right below this scene is another showing Tuthmosis with his wives and a daughter. Next to that is a scene showing Isis in the form of a tree suckling the young Tuthmosis. In this case there is a play on names and the goddess Isis seems to be linked with Queen Isis the mother of the King.

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Statue of Queen Isis

This beautiful statue comes from Karnak and was part of a cachette found in the courtyard.


Scene showing Isis behind her son Tuthmosis III
This scene shos traces of being reinscribed. It has been suggested that the name of Queen Isis relaces the name of Queen Neferure. If so, this would have been a very rare depiction of Neferure as queen. Now the scene shows Queen Isis behind her son Tuthmosis III offering to the god Amun.