The pharaoh was the most important person in Egypt. As a god-ruler, he was the link between the people and their gods. He therefore had to be protected and cared for. The pharaoh led busy life. He was the high priest, the chief law-maker, the commander of the army and in charge of the country's wealth. he had to be a clever politician, too. The ancient Egytpian believed that on his death, the pharaoh became god in his own right.
Pharaohs were generally men, but queens sometimes ruled Egypt if the pharaoh was too young. A pharaoh could take several wives. Within royal families it was common for fathers to marry daughters and for brothers to marry sisters.
Sometimes pharaohs married foreign princesses in order to make an alliance with other country.