Meritaten was the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.
Meritaten’s siblings were Meketaten, Ankhesenamun, Neferneferuaten Tasherit, Neferneferure, Setepenre, and Tutankhamun.
Meritaten’s father, Akhenaten (r. 1351-1334 BC), was the son of Amenhotep III and Tiye. The Amarna Letters provide important evidence about Akhenaten's reign and foreign policy.
Meritaten’s mother, Nefertiti, is said to have possibly been the daughter of Pharaoh Ay (c. 1323-1319 BC).
Meritaten’s paternal grandparents were Amenhotep III (r. 1388-1351 BC) and his principal wife, Queen Tiye.
The Meshwesh are mentioned as a source of cattle provided to Pharaoh Amenhotep III’s palace at Malkata. In a genealogy contained on the stela of Pasenhor dated to the reign of Pharaoh Shoshenq V (r. 767-730 BC), they are stated to be the descendants of "Buyuwawa the Libyan."
Buyuwawa’s descendant, Osorkon the Elder 992-986 BC), was the father of Karimala of Nubia… wife of Siamun (r. 986-967 BC). They had at least two daughters; Tentsepeh and Mattatha… known to have had sons with Nathan, son of King David (r. 1011-971 BC) of Judah.
Meritaten was the mother of Meritaten Tasherit.
She married Smenkhkare (r. 1335-1334 BC), likely the son of Amenhotep III. Smenkhkare ruled only about a year at most.
Smenkhkare was succeeded by Neferneferuaten (r. 1334-1332 BC), who was then succeeded by Tutankhamun (r. 1332-1323 BC).
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