The ancient Egyptians were led by a king, and occasionally, a queen. The king was known as the pharaoh. The pharaoh was more than the ruler of Egypt; the pharaoh was worshipped by the Egyptians as a god. The pharaoh wore a royal headcloth called the “nemes” with a crown of cobras on top. They represented the cobra goddess Wadjet. Only kings and queens could wear the cobra goddess, who was said to protect the pharaoh by spitting flames.
Famous pharaohs include:
Ramesses The Great: He ruled Egypt in 13 B.C. for over 67 years. He built most of the monuments and statues that can be seen in Egypt today.
Tutankhamun: He became king of Egypt when he was only 9 years old. He is famous because of the golden treasures found in his tomb.
Pepy II: He became king of Egypt when he was only 6 years old. He ruled Egypt for 94 years.
Hatshepsut: She was queen of Egypt for 20 years. She wore the pharaoh’s crown.
Akhenaten & Nefertiti: King and Queen of Egypt. They banned the traditional Egyptian gods, and only worshipped the sun god Aten.
Cleopatra: Queen of Egypt and Egypt’s last ruler before it was conquered by the Roman Empire.
For more info on Egyptians check out this book.