The figure of Mutnedjmet in Egyptian history is a bit of a mysterious one. She arrived on the scene towards the end of the famous 18th Dynasty. This dynasty is known for its notable rulers such as Hatshepsut, Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti, and Tutankhamun. In fact it was during the young Tutankhamun’s reign that Mutnedjmet’s husband Horemheb became a significant player in Egyptian politics. Horemheb was not a member of the royal family, he was probably of common origin. He rose through the ranks to become commander of the Egyptain army and a respected diplomat in the reign of Tutankhamun. The boy king kept Horemheb as a close advisor and at some point he was given the title of iry-pat, or “hereditary prince.” This means that Horemheb was likely intended as Tutankhamun’s heir, as the young Pharaoh had no surviving children. Upon Tutankhamun’s death the throne was taken by Ay, his Grand Vizier.
Ay ruled for a brief and rather hectic number of years. Horemheb became Pharaoh after Ay’s death. This is the point when Mutnedjmet also comes to power. It has been believed by some that Mutnedjmet was Ay’s daughter. Another related theory is that Queen Nefertiti was also a daughter of Ay, which would have made him the father-in-law of Akhenaten. If the former theory is true, or if both are true, then Mutnedjmet would have been a valuable link in the dynastic chain as the daughter of the late Pharaoh and possibly the sister of Nefertiti. By marrying Mutnedjmet, Horemheb would have been ensuring some measure of stability and legitimacy to his claim by aligning himself with past rulers of royal lineage. There is nothing really known of Mutnedjmet’s role as Great Royal Wife to Horemheb.
By the time Mutnedjmet was wed to Horemheb she was in her late twenties or early thirties. What is known of Mutnedjmet’s personal life was discovered in and among her remains found in Saqqara in Memphis. Her body showed signs that she had given birth several times. The results of these births are unknown, but can be assumed to be tragic. Nestled away in her tomb is the mummy of a premature still-born baby. The baby’s presence in Mutnedjmet’s tomb indicates that it was this child she died giving birth to in the thirteenth year of her husband’s reign. It was estimated that she was in her mid-forties at the time of her death, which was not considered prime childbearing age. Mutnedjmet seems to have died attempting to give Horemheb an heir. Horemheb eventually died without a living child to succeed him. With his death, and Mutnedjmet’s as well, the Eighteenth Dynasty came to an end.
