Queens of Egypt at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum

The exhibition brings together ancient images and modern views of the Egyptian queens Photograph: G. Barclay/Grimaldi Forum

Cleopatra VII Philopator. For the modern era, she is the definitive Egyptian queen, although she was descended from the Macedonians who ruled Egypt from the time of Alexander the Great. Black basalt, 146 cm tall. Ptolemaic era, 1st century BC Photograph: Hermitage Museum/Grimaldi Forum

Head thought to be of Hatshepsut, the first woman to rule as pharoah in her own right. Diorite quartz, New Kingdom, early/middle Dynasty 18, 1550-1458 BC Photograph: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston/Grimaldi Forum

Head of Queen Hatshepsut as the god Osiris, the redeemer and merciful judge of the dead. Limestone, height 46cm, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Hatshepsut. Origin: west bank, Deir-el-Bahari, Senenmut's quarry Photograph: The Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt/Grimaldi Forum

Head of Queen Nefertiti, wife of the heretic pharoah Akhenaten. Granodiorite, height 25cm. New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep IV-Akhenaton Origin: Amarna Photograph: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin/Grimaldi Forum

Fragment of stele depicting the monotheistic pharoah Akhenaton and his wife Nefertiti kissing. Height 12cm. New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaton Photograph: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin/Grimaldi Forum

Princess Sobeknakht suckling a prince. Copper alloy, height: 9.5cm. Middle Kingdom, Second Intermediate Period, c1700-after 1630 BC Photograph: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund/Brooklyn Museum/Grimaldi Forum

Relief of Queen Tuya, wife of Seti I and mother of Ramesses II, with her daughter Tia and husband. Sandstone, height 28cm. New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Ramses II. Origin: probably Tanis Photograph: Royal Ontario Museum/Grimaldi Forum

The deified Queen Ahmes Nefertari, the mother of Amenhotep I and wife of Ahmose. Painted plaster, height 26cm. New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep I, c1360 BC. Thebes, rock tomb of Nebamun and Ipuki Photograph: Kestner-Museum/Grimaldi Forum

Daughters of Amenhotep III, father of the heretic pharoah Akhenaten. Two of the daughters also became Amenhotep's official wives. Limestone, height 40cm. New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 Photograph: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin/Grimaldi Forum

A canopic jar of Manuwai. The name is Semitic and she may have been one of the pharoah's minor wives. Limestone, blue paste, height 32cm. Egyptian, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose III (c1479-1425 BC) From Thebes, Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud Photograph: The Metropolitan Museum of Art./Grimaldi Forum

Statue of Queen Tiy. Her mother, Thuya, was a commoner, but bore many titles, including Singer of Hathor and Chief of the Entertainers. Black granite , height 190cm, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III. Origin: east bank, Karnak, Mut zone, temple of Mut Photograph: The Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt/Grimaldi Forum

Capturing modern, romantic ideas of Cleopatra is 'Antony brought dying to Cleopatra' by Eugène-Ernest Hillemacher, 1863 Photograph: Musée de Grenoble/Grimaldi Forum

A royal headdress in the form of a vulture, worn by Elizabeth Taylor in the film Cleopatra, 1963 Photograph: Silver Screen Collection/Grimaldi Forum