Djedefre

Fact 1 on Djedefre:

Name: This pharaoh of ancient Egypt was also known as Djedefra and Radjedef.
 

Fact 2 on Djedefre:

History: He ruled as the king of Egypt during the period in ancient Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom and was a pharaoh of the 4th dynasty of kings by right of inheritance. He succeeded Pharaoh Khufu to the throne of Egypt.
 

Fact 3 on Djedefre:

Family: His father was Khufu and his mother was Queen Khentetenka who was one of the lesser wives of King Khufu.
 

Fact 4 on Djedefre:

Mystery surrounds his ascent to the throne. All of the pharaohs of the 4th dynasty practised nepotism where close relatives of the king were given the most powerful and influential positions in the kingdom of Egypt. Whilst this kept the 'prime' jobs in the family it also caused jealousy and rivalry, especially between the 9 sons of King Khufu.
 

Fact 5 on Djedefre:

King Khufu's sons were by his four wives. His heir had been Crown Prince Kawab who had died in mysterious circumstances and there is speculation that Djedefre was involved in the murder of his half-brother so that he could claim the throne.
 

Fact 6 on Djedefre:

Djedefre married Hetepheres II, the widow of Crown Prince Kawab. Perhaps this was necessary to cement his claim to the throne. Hetepheres was also his sister. She had many titles including "King’s Daughter", "King's Wife" and "Great favorite".
 

Fact 7 on Djedefre:

He was already married to Khentetenka whose status and titles were the "King’s Wife, his beloved", "Attendant of Horus" and "Priestess of Neith". Their son Hornit acted as Vizier during Djedefre's reign. He had other children but none of them succeeded him to the throne of Egypt.
 

Fact 8 on Djedefre:

During his reign there was also a shift towards the worship of the sun god Ra, whose cult was based in Heliopolis, the "City of the Sun".  Djedefre was the first pharaoh to add the title "Son of Ra" to his birth name. There is evidence to suggest that the solar cult grew in power during his reign.
 

Fact 9 on Djedefre:

Khufu had built his Great Pyramid on the Giza plateau. His son, Djedefre, chose a different location which was further north in Abu Rawash. The reason for this has perplexed many historians. 
 

Fact 10 on Djedefre:

Abu Rawash is located on an elevation higher than the rest of Giza. The pyramid of  Djedefre was therefore the highest of all the pyramids in Egypt.
 

Fact 11 on Djedefre:

This leads to speculation that his pyramid could have been seen from Heliopolis on the other side (east) of the River Nile and this was the reason for its location.
 

Fact 12 on Djedefre:

His pyramid is now in ruins as it was dismantled by the Romans who wanted the stone for their own building projects elsewhere in Egypt. The pyramid was originally known as "Djedefre's Starry Sky" and was covered with a layer of polished granite and limestone. It is reputed to have been one of the most beautiful pyramids.
 

Fact 13 on Djedefre:

Djedefre reigned for a relatively short period of time and was succeeded by his half-brother Khafre. Once again there is speculation that another murder had taken place, this time Khafre was believed to be involved in the death of Djedefre.