The six daughters of Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti also known as "The Amarna Princesses" were:Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten(Ankhesenamen), Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure, & Setepenre. MERITATEN:("Beloved of Aten") was the eldest daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.She may have been born while Akhenaten was still the Crown Prince, or as late as year 2 of Akhenaten reign reign as Pharaoh of Egypt. She was probably born in the palace at Waset (Thebes) but since the royal family had traditionally had many residences, she could have been born virtually anywhere except AkhetAten (Tell el-Amarna) as the new capital had not been built yet. In about year 6 or so, Princess Meritaten, her two little sisters; Meketaten, and  Ankhesenpaaten; and her parents moved to AkhetAten. 5 years later, three more princesses were born, Nefernefruaten TaSherit, Neferneferure, and Setepenre.In year 14 or 15, Nefertiti dies, falls from favor, or becomes co-regent and Meritaten replaces her in many inscriptions. Whether Akhenaten married his daughter MEKETATEN:  ("Behold the Aten" or "Protected by Aten") was the 2nd daughter of the six daughters of Akhenaten & Nefertiti. She was probably born in year 4 of Akhenaten's reign.Meketaten moved to the new capital city Akhetaten with her family when she was still a small child. She is depicted in several of the tombs of the nobles in Amarna. Meketaten is depicted in the tomb of Ay holding a tray of gifts while wrapping one arm around her mother's neck,Meketaten died in approximately year 14 of Akhenaten.It is very likely that a plague swept across Egypt between Akhenaten's 12th to 15th reign years, ANKHESENPAATEN (Later Ankhesenamen), she was the third of the six known daughters of Akhenaten and  Nefertiti, and became the Great Royal Wife of her half-brother Tutankhamun. The change in her name reflects the changes in Ancient Egyptian religion during her lifetime after her father's death. Her youth is well documented in the ancient reliefs and paintings of the reign of her parents. She was probably born in year 4 of Akhenaten's reign and by year 12 of her father's reign she was joined by her three younger sisters. He possibly made his wife his co-regent and had his family portrayed in a realistic style in all official artwork.Ankhesenamun was definitely married to one king she was the Great Royal Wife of pharaoh Tutankhamun. It is also possible that she was briefly married to Tutankhamun's successor, Ay, believed by some to be her maternal grandfather. It has also been posited that she may have been the great royal wife of her father, Akhenaten, NEFERNEFERUATEN TASHERIT: ("The Little Beauty of the Beauties of Aten") was the fourth daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and probably the first princess to be born at the new capital of AkhetAten (Amarna).then she was the first 'Amarna' princess. "Ta-Sherit" means "little".The fate of this Amarna princess is not known. She is shown with her sisters Meritaten and Ankhesenpaaten mourning the death of Meketaten in year 14, her two younger sisters, Neferneferure and Setepenre,are missing from this scene and may have already died. Some have theorized that Neferneferuaten was married to a foreign king, but there are not clues. NEFERNEFERURE :("Beauty of the Beauties of Re" was the fifth daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. She was born in about year 8 or 9. Her name was the first amoung the princesses not to include the Aten element. All four of her older sisters had -Aten names: Meritaten, Meketaten, Ankhesenpaaten, and Neferneferuaten tasherit. Nefernefrure ceases to be mentioned after year 14, and is not shown in the mourning scene at the death of Meketaten (neither is her little sister, Setepenre), and many conclude from this evidence that she predeceased Meketaten.Still others have, like with Nefernefruaten tasherit, theorized that Nefernefrure was sent away to marry a foreign king, but this was simply not done in Egypt. Foreign princesses came into the country, but there is no documentation of any Egyptian princesses leaving Egypt SETEPENRE: ("Chosen of Re" or "Chosen One of Re") was the sixth and last daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. She was probably born in late year nine, or possibly early year ten. Not much is known about little Setepenre. She probably died young, predeceasing Meketaten. In fact, she may have been the first Amarna Princess to die. Neither she nor Nefernefrure are present at the mourning scenes at the death of Meketaten. Maybe Setepenre and Neferneferure were though too young to be present at such a ceremony, or maybe they was just too young to participate, so she was left our of the scene. It is likely, however, that young Setepenre didn't live all that long. She has almost certaily died before Tutankhaten came to the throne. After Tutankhaten came to the throne, the only Amarna princess who seems to have been alive was Ankhesenpaaten.

• published: 21 Nov 2013
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