“Ay reigned for only four years. He had originally intended to be buried at Akhetaten and work had begun on the construction of a tomb there. It contained the only version known of the great Hymn to the Aten. Later, he commandeered for himself a tomb (WV 23) which was probably originally intended for Tutankhamun, near that of Amenhotep III and the mortuary temple at Medinet Habu. In his tomb he is shown in the company of his first wife, Tiy II. Of Ankhesenamun there is no trace.

After the death of Akhenaten and the eventual accession of Tutankhamun, Ay set himself diligently tp erase the memory of the king whom he had served and to restore the power of the priests of Amun. In this he seems to have been notably successful; Akhenaten was execrated as a heretic and the members of the royal family, whose names had been compounded with that of the Aten, were renamed by the substitution of Amun’s name.

When Tutankhamun died, and after an abortive attempt by his queen Ankhesenamun, to secure a foreign prince to succeed, Ay secured the kingship, though he was not of the royal lineage. It has been suggested that he married Tutankhamun’s widow who, as king’s daughter, would have carried the right of succession.”

— Who’s Who in Ancient Egypt, by Michael Rice