Jamillia

"We must keep our faith in the Republic. The day we stop believing democracy can work is the day we lose it."

―Queen Jamillia^[3]

Jamillia was a Human female who served as the successor of Queen Amidala, formally styled as Her Royal Highness, Queen Jamillia of Naboo. Jamillia, like her predecessor, was a young woman when elected (though not as young as Padmé Amidala was during her first term), with a regal and dignified bearing.

Biography[]

A female of the Human species, Jamillia came from the southeastern regions of Naboo,^[1] a peaceful planet located in the Chommell sector of the galaxy.^[5] Jamillia's predecessor, after serving two successful four-year terms as Queen, was popular enough that many of the Naboo wanted to amend their constitution to allow Amidala to serve a third term. However, she graciously declined the honor, and Jamillia became Naboo's next elected monarch. The new Queen asked her still-popular predecessor to continue her career in public service by becoming Naboo's Senator, even though Amidala had reached the normal age for the Naboo to retire from politics and was well within her rights to do so. Padmé agreed and became Naboo's representative in the Galactic Senate.^[3]

The membership of the Royal Advisory Council under Queen Jamillia was apparently different from the membership under Amidala, with the exception of Sio Bibble and Graf Zapalo.^[3]

During the Separatist Crisis, Jamillia was one of many planetary rulers who opened up their worlds to aid many refugees who were fleeing the planets seceding from the Galactic Republic.^[6] For this she received much criticism, particularly from unions representing Naboo spice miners, such as the Naboo Moon Mining Union, whose main ports became a part of the refugee movement on Naboo.^[4]

In 22 BBY, after surviving a Separatist-backed assassination attempt, Amidala left Coruscant for the safety of Naboo. Jamillia was very worried about the Senator and helped conceal her presence.^[3] Before Amidala left for the Lake Country, Jamillia suggested to her that she make contact with her family, who had also grown very concerned for her safety.^[7] Just after the start of the Clone Wars, during the run-up to the Battle of Ohma-D'un, Jamillia appointed Amidala's protocol droid, C-3PO, as Naboo's ambassador to the Jedi Order.^[8] Shortly after the war started, she would be replaced by Queen Neeyutnee.^[9]

In 21 BBY, Jamillia asked Amidala to mediate a dispute between Naboo's Artisans' Guild and the Bonadan Silver Sand Consortium. The Queen also offered refugee status to the people of Torbel, a village on the planet Lanteeb that had been occupied by the Separatists, led by General Lok Durd, and destroyed during a Republic assault.^[10]

Personality and traits[]

A Human female from Naboo, Jamillia was relatively small, measuring only 1.57 meters^[2] She had a round face with a rather large mouth, a narrow chin and pronounced cheeks. Both her hair and eye color were dark brown.^[3] According to Senator Amidala, Queen Jamillia looked aptly regal, just "every bit the part of Queen". She had a rich,^[7] perfectly regal voice,^[1] with a southeastern accent that made her enunciate the consonants powerfully. As she despised small talk, Jamillia would often get to the point of the question very quickly, which made her sound blunt at times.^[7]

The Queen preferred to focus on Naboo's internal politics, leaving the conduction of foreign affairs to Senator Padmé Amidala.^[11]

Behind the scenes[]

Jamillia was portrayed by Indian actress Ayesha Dharker in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, the second installment in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Dharker spent a month in Australia, a week-and-a-half in Lake Como and then a few days in Caserta, Italy for only half-a-day of shooting.^[12]

In Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary and some of the early scripts of Attack of the Clones, the transliteration "Jamilla" was used instead.^[13]