Romana III
This incarnation of Romanadvoratrelundar, commonly known as "Romana", was more ruthless than her previous two 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 Eighth Doctor.
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 a tactical advantage in the war. Instead, the Eighth 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 Eighth 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. Before she died however, Romana sent K9 into the Doctor's TARDIS in order to prevent him from destroying Gallifrey. (EDA: 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 also wore pearls. (EDA: The Shadows of Avalon) The Doctor noted that this incarnation of Romana looked like his mother. (EDA: 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 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 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.
- In a March 2009 email reprinted in REF: Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale - The Final Chapter, on pages 622-623, Russell T Davies states that he created the unidentified woman as the Doctor's mother, and that this is what actress Claire Bloom was told when she was cast. During filming, newspapers The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph announced that Claire Bloom would be portraying the Doctor's mother.[1] And although Russell T Davies has refused to definitevely state that the woman is the Doctor's mother, when considering the above options which Davies mentioned, it is interesting to note that the Eighth Doctor once said Romana III indeed resembled his mother. This has led to some fans theorising that Romana III is both the Doctor's mother and the Mysterious Woman from DW: The End of Time.
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