Prince Rahotep was a Prince

Prince

Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...

 in Ancient Egypt during the 4th dynasty

Fourth dynasty of Egypt

The fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt is characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom. Dynasty IV lasted from ca. 2613 to 2494 BC...

. He was probably a son of pharaoh

Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...

 Sneferu

Sneferu

Sneferu, also spelled as Snephru, Snefru or Snofru , was the founder of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. Estimates of his reign vary, with for instance The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt suggesting a reign from around 2613 BC to 2589 BC, a reign of 24 years, while Rolf Krauss suggests a 30-year reign...

 and his first wife, although Zahi Hawass

Zahi Hawass

Zahi Hawass is an Egyptian archaeologist, an Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley....

 suggests his father was Huni

Huni

Huni was the last Pharaoh of Egypt of the Third dynasty. He was the successor to Khaba.-Family:Huni was the father of Hetepheres I, the wife of Sneferu who was the first king of the Fourth Dynasty...

.

Biography

Rahotep's titles were inscribed on a magnificent statue of him which, with a statue of his wife, was excavated from his mastaba at Meidum

Meidum

Located about 100 km south of modern Cairo, Meidum or Maidum is the location of a large pyramid, and several large mud-brick mastabas.-Pyramid:...

 in 1871. These describe him as High Priest of Ra at Heliopolis

Heliopolis (ancient)

Heliopolis was one of the oldest cities of ancient Egypt, the capital of the 13th Lower Egyptian nome that was located five miles east of the Nile to the north of the apex of the Nile Delta...

 (with the added title, unique to Heliopolis, Ra's town, of "Greatest of Seers"), Director of Expeditions and Supervisor of Works. He also has a title given to high nobility, "the son of the king, begotten of his body".

Rahotep's older brother was Nefermaat

Nefermaat

Nefermaat I was an Egyptian prince, a son of pharaoh Sneferu. He was a vizier possessing the titles of the king's eldest son, royal seal bearer, and prophet of Bastet. His name means "Maat is beautiful".- Biography :...

, and his younger brother was Ranefer

Ranefer

Ranefer or Ranofer was a Prince of Egypt during the 4th dynasty.Ranefer means "Ra is beautiful". Ra is the Sun god, and nefer means "beautiful".- Biography :...

. Rahotep died when he was young, and so his half-brother Khufu

Khufu

Khufu , also known as Cheops or, in Manetho, Suphis , was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He is generally accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of...

 became pharaoh after Snofru's death.

Rahotep's wife was Nofret

Nofret

Nofret was a noblewoman and princess who lived in Ancient Egypt during the 4th dynasty of Egypt.- Biography :Nofret's parents are not known. Nofret married Prince Rahotep, who was a son of Pharaoh Sneferu. She had three daughters and three sons with Rahotep....

. Her parents are not known.

Children

Nofret and Rahotep had three sons – Djedi

Prince Djedi

Djedi was an Egyptian prince who lived during 4th dynasty. He was a son of Rahotep and Nofret, grandson of pharaoh Sneferu and nephew of pharaoh Khufu...

, Itu and Neferkau – and three daughters – Mereret, Nedjemib and Sethtet. They are depicted in Rahotep's tomb.