The Naboo Monarchy – Padmé Amidala is one of Naboo’s most revered Queens. She led the Naboo Monarchy at the age of 14, a decade before the Clone Wars and prior to her marriage to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. However, many Star Wars fans have questioned why the former monarch’s daughter, Leia, wasn’t a Princess of Naboo if her biological mother was a Queen. That’s where this post comes in.
Since there is little information explaining the Naboo monarchy on screen, we will use what was said in EK Johnston’s Padmé book trilogy as a stepping stone. There will also be references to the films and The Clone Wars series, SPOILERS ahead. Finally, we will be blending in information from legends when necessary.
So, let’s begin with what we know about the Naboo Monarchy and how it differs from Alderaan.
Naboo Monarchy – Elective or Bloodline?
Unlike any monarchies of today’s reality, the Naboo monarchy was an elective institution rather than a bloodline. No one person could stake a claim to the throne. Instead, an election is held, and a leader is picked. This is similar to how a President or Prime Minister is chosen.
The Naboo Monarchy differed from that of Alderaan, the home planet of Princess Leia, the daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker.
Alderaan’s heir to the throne did not need to be biologically related to the monarch. For example, Leia was heir to the Alderaanian throne because her adoptive mother was the Queen. So, if Alderaan had not been blown up, Leia could’ve taken over as Queen. This would also mean that Ben, Leia’s son, would’ve been Prince of Alderaan.
How Long Can A Monarch Lead?
Returning to the Naboo Monarchy, two different book sources tell us two different ideas regarding how long a monarch could rule. The 2014 novel Tarkin says that Padmé was preceded by a king who ruled thirteen years before her. The last King of Naboo before Queen Amidala was Ars Veruna. He was assassinated by the time 32BBY rolled around, meaning before Padmé became Queen.
There were two Queens who served before Padmé and after Ars. These two Queens served one term each. One of these two women, Réillata, did a second term after Padmé but before Jamillia.
The more recent novel, Queen’s Shadow, says that a monarch is only permitted two-year terms. However, this is again contradicted by a French source entitled “Naboo”, which states a term was four years, not two.
Réillata, the first of the two Queens to rule before Padmé, had two two-terms. The first, which predates Padmé, was two years. The second was the same length. Amidala, meanwhile, did her two terms in one go, equaling four years.
It’s possible that Ars did rule as long as the Tarkin novel claims. The law could’ve been amended so one could not hold power for too long. The Padmé novels only mention the Queens that predate Padmé and a couple afterwards, such as Queen Jamillia, who served as Queen during Attack of the Clones.
Could An Exception Be Made For A Monarch To Rule Longer Than Necessary?
It’s possible. The Naboo people wanted Padmé to rule for a third term, but she respectfully declined. Anakin refers to this in Attack of the Clones, where he says that people wanted the constitution changed so Amidala could remain in power.
Was There Ever A Princess Of Naboo Or Something Similar?
In Legends material, the step before becoming Queen was Princess of Theed, Naboo’s capital. According to the Wookieepedia page linked above, the title was a fancy way of referring to a mayoral position. Two known women held Princess of Theed. The first was Padmé, and the second was Apailana, who was Queen around the time Padmé died.
Can Monarchs Strip Senators of Their Positions?
Every monarch of Naboo was remembered differently for how they ruled over their people. While Ars was a tyrant, Apailana, one of Padmé’s successors, seemed to have a tough stance on relationships. Amidala mentions to Anakin in Revenge of the Sith that the Queen could have her stripped of her senatorial position if it were to get out that she was married to a Jedi.
Were Any Monarchs Assassinated Or Forced Out Of Power?
To finish this post, we wanted to explore whether any Naboo monarchs were assassinated or kicked out of office.
In canon, Ars was assassinated due to him being corrupt in 32BBY.
Queen Dalné was more of a ceremonial queen during the Empire. She was born in 19BBY and was monarch in approximately 3BBY, making her roughly the same age as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Dalné hated not being able to rule her people given Palpatine’s hold over the planet since Naboo was his homeworld.
