Our dear friends Marc and Ellie heard about our upcoming trip to Egypt and presented us with some goodies, including an issue of Smithsonian (Magazine) dated Sept 2006. The cover features the title of an article; Solving the Mystery of Egypt’s Hatshepsut, Why Was Her Reign Erased from History? 
Was it because she was female? Was it her strong personality and daring actions? Was she the only Female Pharaoh? Here are some facts garnered from Wikipedia and confirmed by the Magazine article.
Hatshepsut was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. She was the second historically-confirmed female pharaoh, the first being Sobekneferu and she came to the throne of Egypt in 1478 BC. That is a long time ago! She was referred to often as a “scheming Stepmother,” a “strong and effective Ruler, The Queen who would be king.” The ancient archaeological sites of Thebes and Karnak revealed smashed bits of the statues of the pharaoh weighing from a few ounces to a ton or heavier. They were “treated with every indignity” as she reportedly had been in her reigning days.
Her line to the throne is theory, stating that upon her birth, her father is believed to have named her as successor to the throne. In a nutshell, She became Queen of Egypt upon marrying her half brother Thutmose 11, at age 12. She was known to “push around the frail and ineffectual king.” She rose to an “elevation of a godlike status” displaying “an act of naked ambition.” She took on the aura of Kingly male and suffered greatly for her show of strength. “Her reign “set new standards of craftsmanship, taste and luxurious living in both life and death.” Her legacy can be viewed to this day including her influences on the visual arts, crafts and and many architectural achievements, including Hatshepsut’s memorial temple pictured here. It is still visited today.
To this day, scholars are seeking answers to many questions and quandaries about her reign. No matter what the negative facts may be, her legacy celebrates the good that she brought to her country. I do not know if we will encounter this Queen of Egypt, but I certainly will keep my eyes attuned to her name.
See the URL below. https://www.google.com/search?q=queen+hatshepsut+temple&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS853US853&oq=queen+hatshepsut&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l2j69i60l3.10873j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8