Tiye (also known as Tiy or Ty) was a queen of Kemet from the 18th dynasty, wife of Amenhotep III, mother of Akhenaten, and grandmother of both Tutankhamun and Ankhsenamun. She exerted enormous influence in both her husband and son’s courts and was known to have communicated directly with rulers of foreign nations. The Amarna letters also show that she was highly regarded by these rulers, especially during the reign of her son. She died in her early sixties and was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Her mummy has positively been identified as that known as the ‘Elder Lady,’ and a lock of her hair, possibly a keepsake of the young king’s, was found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. 9