Sobeknefru was most likely born the daughter of Amenemhet III. Her name Sobek-nefru means "Beautiful of the god Sobek". Another name for her was Nefrusobk and her throne name was Sobekkarre or "Sobek is the Soul of Re"(Clayton 1994).It is believed that Sobeknefru was the sister or half sister and most probably the wife of Amenemhet IV. She donned the Crown shortly after his death and ruled for a little over three years. Her reign marks the closing of what has been called a Golden Age in Egypt.
Very often the Queen's nswt-bity name has appeared as Sobeknefru-Shedty. Scholars believe that Sobkenefru was trying to emphazie a new economic and religious center in the Faiyum - Shedet. Shedet contained a notable shrine dedicated to Sobek and it is possible that the priests of Sobek were key supporters to Sobeknefru's crown. This is not confirmed however. Sobeknefru is the first monarch to use the name of the god Sobek beyond that of a 12th dynasty princess. This, again, may be related to the importance of the Faiyum area during her reign (Callender 1998).
Sobeknefru is mentioned in Manetho's King's list as well as the Karnak and Sakkara lists but not the Abydos list. Primary evidence of the queen's reign is scant, however. It consists of an inscription at the second cataract during the third year of her reign, three fragmentary lifesized basalt statues found at Tel el Dab'a (the poses were later replicated by the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut), several inscriptions associating Sobeknefru with her father Amenemhet III, and a blue-glazed cylinder seal recording four of her five names.
Sobekneferu may be an important ruler to study not only because of when she reigned but because of whom she influenced. It is known that Hatshepsut greatly admired the Middle Kingdom rulers and she seems particularly to have adopted many of Sobeknefru's ideas, especially in regard to their shared position as the ruler of the Two Lands.
Sobeknefru brought an end to the 12th dynasty and to the Middle Kingdom. Other rulers followed her but none important enough to bother with. She most probably was a princess of the land, then ruled as Queen Consort and, finally, in her own right as Pharaoh. She was one of the few Egyptian women to achieve this. She is unique for her name and for the influence she later payed in regard to the most famous female ruler Hatshepsut(Callender 1998).
She who is beloved of Sobek of Shedet, the (female) Horus Meretre, the Two Ladies, Daughter of Power, the Lady of the Two Lands, Golden Horus, She whose appearance is stable, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sobekneferu of Shedet; She lives! (Callender 1998).
