Question: Justify Hatshepsut's claim to the throne, with references to political, religious and social forces.

Queen Hatshepsut was an astonishing king. She was the first female ever to claim the Egyptian throne and announce herself pharaoh. In order to do this, first she had to legitimise her claim. She believed she had political, social and religious reasons to claim the throne and used these along with half-truths to legitimise her rule. Hatshepsut believed that she should have been king when her father died and there for believed that she had …

…therefore was very important herself. So Hatshepsut was able to justify her political reasons of needing to secure Thutmosis 3's position, Thutmosis 3 having instructed her, wanting to prepare the for matriarchal rule and needing to protect her officials by political propaganda eg monuments and religious propaganda (kings great wife), experience and training. Queen Hatshepsut had many social, religious and political reasons for wanting to be king, she used these and propaganda to legitimise her rule.