Queen Nefertiti: A Lifelong Fascination

Queen Nefertiti

Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by the enigmatic beauty and mystique of Queen Nefertiti. Her name is known across the globe, yet much of her life remains a puzzle—she lingers in our collective imagination more as a legend than a clearly defined historical figure.

And that mystery is exactly what drew me to her.

My connection deepened during a visit to Luxor—ancient Thebes—where I encountered powerful depictions of Nefertiti at the Luxor Museum, and also Cairo Museum and Neues Museum, Berlin. There she stood, not just as Akhenaten’s consort, but as a commanding presence in her own right. What moved me most, however, were the rare, intimate family scenes: moments of tenderness shared with Akhenaten and their daughters. These depictions made her feel not only human, but quietly revolutionary.

To me, what makes Nefertiti remarkable isn’t just her renowned beauty—it’s her boldness, her vision, and her refusal to be defined by the absence of a male heir. Not many people know she had the role of co-regent with her husband Akhenaten. As co-regent, she ruled during one of Egypt’s most transformative periods, and helped pave the way for her daughter Meritaten to step into power as well. Her life was a powerful statement that women could—and should—rule in their own right.

The more I researched, the more fascinated I became. But I also came to realise just how fragmented our understanding of Nefertiti truly is. Her story is stitched together from broken reliefs, faded inscriptions, and scattered archaeological traces. Reconstructing her life in my book, has been as exhilarating as it is frustrating—a historical jigsaw with too many missing pieces.

Still, that’s what makes her so compelling. Nefertiti’s legacy speaks of faith, resilience, power, and transformation. She was at the centre of an extraordinary religious revolution, when Akhenaten overthrew Egypt’s ancient gods in favour of a single deity: Aten. But after his death, the revolution collapsed. The capital was destroyed. His name—and hers—were all but erased. And yet, she endures.

But that, of course, is a story for the next blog…

Monica