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This article analyses the uproar that followed the release of the Netflix series Queen Cleopatra (2023). The fact that the Egyptian queen is played by a black actress caused a lot of controversy, especially in Egypt. My aim in this article is not so much to establish the colour of Cleopatra’s skin, but to analyse for whom and why this is so important. After all, the debate is bigger than Cleopatra alone and touches on the role that the study of classics has played (and still plays) in our Western culture. This is currently being debated, not least in the United States, where the series was conceived. Finally, I consider the position that I, as a historian, should take in this debate.