Meritites I
Meritites I was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 4th Dynasty. Her name means "Beloved of her Father". Several of her titles are known from a stela found at Giza. She was buried in the middle Queen’s Pyramid in Giza (Pyramid G 1b).
| Meritites in hieroglyphs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meritites (Merit ites) Mrj.t jt=s Beloved of her father | |||||
Meritites was a daughter of King Sneferu and his consort of unknown name. Meritites married her (half?-)brother, King Khufu. With Khufu, she was the mother of the Crown Prince Kawab, and possibly Djedefre. Both Queen Hetepheres II and Pharaoh Khafre have been suggested as children of Meretites I and Khufu as well, and it is possible that Meritites II was a daughter of Meritites I as well.
Auguste Mariette recorded a stela at Giza in which Meritites is said to be a favorite of both Sneferu and Khufu:
King’s wife, his beloved, devoted to Horus, Mertitytes. King’s wife, his beloved, Mertitytes; beloved of the Favorite of the Two Goddesses; she who says anything whatsoever and it is done for her. Great in the favor of Snefr[u]; great in the favor of Khuf[u], devoted to Horus, honored under Khafre. Merti[tyt]es. [Breasted]
Meritites held the titles: "great one of the hetes-sceptre of Khufu" (Weret-hetes-net-Khufu, wrt-hetes-nt-khwfw), great one of the hetes-sceptre of Snofru (Weret-hetes-net-snofru, wrt-hetes-nt-snfrw), king’s wife, his beloved (Hemet-nesu Meritef, hmt-nsw meryt.f), attendant of Horus (Khet-heru, kht-hrw) and consort and beloved of the Two Ladies (Semayt-meri-nebti, smꜣyt-mry-nbty).