The Three Queens

THE THREE QUEENS is a book about the life of the son of Pharaoh Khafre and grandson of Pharaoh Khufu - Pharaoh Menkaure, as well as his relationships with his three Queens. It covers the period from c.2532 B.C. through to c.2500 B.C. (the death of Shepseskaf, Menkaure’s son and heir). We only know the name of one of Menkaure’s queens – Khamererenebty II. The other two are a mystery. A clue to one of the possible names is in the name of Menkaure’s known daughter, Khentkawes, for often daughters took the name of their mother.
Unlike the other two books in the Giza Trilogy, The Three Queens is more a book about the personal life of the Pharaoh rather than military conquests and other adventures. Much more detail is included in this book on the lifestyle and customs of ancient Egypt, (or Kemet as it is referred to) than in the other two books. Where there are gaps in this knowledge such as a day in the life of the Pharaoh artistic licence has been employed to fill this gap. The forms of entertainment, clothes, food, drink, and positions of employment within the royal court are all examined more closely. The pyramid though is not ignored.
Menkaure’s pyramid was the smallest on the plateau and only about half the size of his father, Pharaoh Khafre’s pyramid. Why was this? Possible answers are suggested in the book, but as with the two previous Pharaohs in the Giza Trilogy, little is know about Menkaure’s own life. Again clues must be found in the pyramid and in the three satellite pyramids he built for his queens; the magnificent statues of the Pharaoh; as well as in the lives of the Pharaohs who followed after him. Menkaure’s pyramid was the last to be built on the Giza Plateau. Why was this? Again reasons (plausible theories) are suggested in the book.
As with the previous two Giza books, Pharaoh Menkaure is given a life and perhaps more freedom than a Pharaoh would have been given. He is not a stone Pharaoh but one who is alive to the reader and those around him, including his three Queens.