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The third incarnation of Romanadvoratrelundar, commonly known as "Romana", was more ruthless than her previous two incarnations.
Biography
Romana had, by this time, become War Queen and President of the Nine Gallifreys. She regenerated knowing she would need a harder personality for the upcoming War with the Enemy. As a result, she became less friendly towards the Eighth Doctor.
She dispatched Cavis and Gandar to Avalon, and eventually turned up herself to take possession of Compassion when she had transformed into a TARDIS, believing she could give them a tactical advantage in the war. Instead, the Eighth Doctor and Fitz fled inside Compassion. (PROSE: The Shadows of Avalon)
After a hundred fifty 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. The Eighth Doctor destroyed the planet to prevent this.
Romana's fate after the end of the Second War in Heaven and the destruction of Gallifrey was unknown. She still had access to a functioning TARDIS, so may have escaped in it. (PROSE: The Ancestor Cell) However, the version of events shown to the anmensic Doctor by Marnal implied she was shot by Faction Paradox skulltroopers. Before she died, however, Romana sent K9 into the Doctor's TARDIS to prevent him from destroying Gallifrey. (PROSE: The Gallifrey Chronicles)
Appearance
Romana had black hair with a fringe, green eyes, and a tattoo of the Prydonian Seal on her left ankle. She wore pearls. (PROSE: The Shadows of Avalon) The Doctor noted that this incarnation of Romana looked like his mother. (PROSE: The Ancestor Cell)
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 COMIC: 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 TV: The End of Time has been the subject of much speculation in fan circles; a third incarnation of Romana is one frequently cited guess as to who she might be, a theory supported by her physical appearance and by a later remark by Davies, that the woman could be any trustworthy Time Lady, including the Doctor's mother, Susan Foreman or Romana III.