Romana III
The third incarnation of Romanadvoratrelundar, commonly known as "Romana", was more ruthless than her first and second incarnations.
Biography
Romana had, by this time, became War Queen and President of the Nine Gallifreys. She regenerated knowing that she would need a harder personality for the upcoming War with the Enemy. As a result she became less friendly towards the Doctor. Physically, she resembled a beautiful dark-haired woman, with green eyes and a tatoo of the Prydonian seal on her ankle.
She dispatched Cavis and Gandar to Avalon and eventually turned up herself to take possession of Compassion when she had transformed in a TARDIS, believing she could give them an tactical advantage in the war. Instead, the Doctor and Fitz fled inside Compassion. (EDA: The Shadows of Avalon)
After 150 years in power, she was approaching her first reaffirmation ceremony when she was challenged by former President Greyjan, an event which turned out to be part of a scheme by Faction Paradox to take over Gallifrey and re-write its history. Finally, the Doctor was forced to destroy the planet to prevent this. (EDA: The Ancestor Cell)
After the end of the Second War in Heaven and the destruction of Gallifrey, Romana's fate was unknown. She still had access to a functioning TARDIS, so may have escaped using it. However, the version of events shown to the anmensic Doctor by Marnal implied that she was shot by Faction Paradox skulltroopers. (EDA: The Gallifrey Chronicles)
Behind the scenes
- Writers involved in the War arc book of Eighth Doctor Adventures novels based Romana III's described appearance on that of the American silent film actress Louise Brooks, although upon meeting this incarnation for the first time the Eighth Doctor noted that she now looked worryingly like his mother.
- In IDW: The Forgotten, the Tenth Doctor says Romana "did quite well for herself ... until the Time War". The comic gives no clue as to whether the Doctor is referring to Romana III or the second incarnation or even to an incarnation after Romana III.
- The unidentified woman who interacted with Wilfred Mott in DW: The End of Time has been the subject of much speculation in fan circles; a post-Lalla Ward incarnation of Romana is one frequently cited guess as to who she might be. Although Russell T. Davies has stated that the woman is the Doctor's mother, note that as indicated above, the Eighth Doctor once said Romana III indeed resembled his mother.
