Abstract The early Hittite New Kingdom was a period of great change. It was during this period that both a remarkable amount of Hurrian textual material entered into the Hittite capital and Hittite kings began having both Hittite and Hurrian names. In this paper I argue that the importation of Hurrian cultural material accompanied the dynastic marriage between the Hittite king and the king of Kizzuwatna. The reception of the material and its lasting effects within the ruling family are to be attributed to the education of the princes within a royal household headed by Hurrian queens.