One of the most confusing, but pivotal, plot points of Star Wars Episode I, The Phantom Menace, revolves around the true identity of Queen Amidala. The Queen we see for the first two-thirds of the film turns out to be a decoy with the real Queen later being revealed to be Padmé, who had been posing as a handmaiden for much of the film.
The confusion around this is still apparent 23 years after the film’s release, with many Star Wars fans still unsure about whether Padmé was the real Queen Amidala or not. Today, we’ll be clearing a few things up on this topic to hopefully set the record straight once and for all.
Is Padmé and Queen Amidala the same person?
The simple answer to this question is yes, Padmé and Queen Amidala are the same person. While Padmé is her birth name, Amidala is a name she assigned herself when she entered politics. This name then carried through to when she was appointed Queen of Naboo.
In reality, there shouldn’t be any confusion around this but due to the dispute with the Trade Federation in 32BBY, the decision was made to use a decoy to act as Queen of Naboo to protect Padmé. When the time came for the Naboolians to ask for support from the Gungans, Padmé revealed herself as the true Queen of Naboo.
Why was Padmé acting as a handmaiden?
There are a couple of reasons why Padmé was acting as a handmaiden for much of the Phantom Menace. The first one is all to do with security. The job of a Queen’s handmaidens and decoys is to protect the Queen at all costs, even if it means sacrificing their own life to do so.
The Queen’s life was in danger when the Trade Federation set up a blockade in Naboo. They were trying to force her to sign a treaty which would place Naboo under their control but she had no intention of signing it. This conflict put the Queen’s life at risk so it was better that she disguised herself as a decoy in public while still making decisions behind the scenes.
The second reason why she was acting as a handmaiden is to do with legal reasons. The treaty that the Trade Federation wanted the Queen to sign would only be legally binding if the real Queen of Naboo signed it.
So, if the worst came to the worst and the Queen’s decoy was forced to sign the treaty then, when Padmé revealed herself as the true Queen, the treaty would be worth nothing.
While these are two concrete “in-universe” explanations for Padmé acting as a handmaiden, it was also pivotal for the plot of the film and the entire saga. If the Queen wasn’t working as a handmaiden then she would never have been allowed to explore Tatooine and meet Anakin.
You can find out more about Padmé and Anakin’s secret marriage here.
Similarly, her revealing her true identity to Boss Nass made the Gungans trust the Naboolians to the point where they were willing to fight alongside them. If she was simply acting as Queen all along then this scenario could never have played out.
What happened to the Queen’s decoy?
The decoy who was acting as Queen during the events of the Phantom Menace was a handmaiden called Sabé. Sabé was loyal to Padmé and was willing to put her own life on the line to protect the Queen. It was largely thanks to her efforts that Naboo was able to free itself from the clutches of the Trade Federation.
This wasn’t the final time the Sabé had to fulfil her duty as a decoy for Padmé. During the Clone Wars, the Republic protected Padmé from an attempted kidnapping by putting Sabé and another handmaiden in a position where the Separatists would kidnap them instead. This was so the Jedi Order could establish which outlaws were working alongside the Separatists. After being kidnapped, Anakin Skywalker successfully rescued Sabé and the other handmaiden.
Padmé and Sabé were close friends and after the former’s passing, Sabé was heartbroken. She also felt that the death was suspicious and that she had been murdered. She set up a group called the ‘Amidalans’ which set out to hunt down and kill whoever had ended Padmé’s life.
Why did Padmé use the name Amidala?
One of the main reasons why some people don’t think Padmé and Queen Amidala are the same person is because Amidala isn’t her true name. Her real name is Padmé Naberrie, meaning that Amidala was merely a regnal name.
The reason why Padmé used a regnal name was for a number of reasons. Primarily, it was for security purposes. After she became the youngest Queen ever elected, she decided to use the name Amidala instead of her family name to protect her true identity and also to protect the lives of her family. In Politics, you are always going to have enemies and she didn’t want these people targeting those closest to her.
Additionally, using a different name allowed her to separate her personal life away from her working life. While acting as Queen Amidala of the Naboo, she was regal and very stoney-faced, however, as Padmé she was more emotional and compassionate.
Finally, choosing a regal name was a tradition in Naboo. The name stuck with her throughout her life, even after her time as Queen was over.
Conclusion
To conclude, Queen Amidala is the same person as Padmé Naberrie. Although she stopped going by the title of Queen after she stood down from her royal duty and became a senator, the name Amidala stayed with her until the day she died.
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