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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 after Compassion 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 and 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. (PROSE: The Ancestor Cell) Marnal later showed the amnesiac Eighth Doctor these events, and it was implied that Romana was shot by Faction Paradox skulltroopers. Before she died, however, Romana sent K-9 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) Cuthbert Simpson regarded Romana as "beautiful". (PROSE: The Banquo Legacy) 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.
- James Goss, creator of the "Trey" incarnation of Romana played by Juliet Landau in Big Finish audio stories, asserts that the Romana III of the novels is not the same as Trey. Goss refers to Romana III as one among "other future Romanadvoratrelundars". (Vortex #56) However, Scott Handcock and Gary Russell have stated that she is the third incarnation and was always intended to be. (Big Finish Productions forum)