Padmé Amidala's funeral

During the final days of the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo became pregnant with twins; Amidala was unaware that she was pregnant with two children, and was only expecting one. Her husband, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, had visions of Amidala dying in childbirth. Their marriage was a secret, as the Jedi Code forbade Jedi from marrying, preventing Skywalker from finding the guidance and help he felt he needed from the Jedi Order to save Amidala's life. He was instead seduced to the dark side of the Force by Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith publicly known as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who promised that he could help Skywalker save Amidala from death. Skywalker swore his allegiance to Sidious, who gave his new apprentice the name Darth Vader.

Vader led the destruction of the Jedi Order, his first act as a Dark Lord of the Sith. With the Jedi destroyed, Sidious declared himself Emperor and transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire, which Amidala bore witness to in a special session of the Galactic Senate. When Amidala learned of Vader's fall shortly thereafter, she refused to believe it and followed Vader to Mustafar, where he had been sent to kill the Separatist Council and end the Clone Wars. Unknown to the senator, however, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the former mentor and friend of Anakin Skywalker, had stowed away aboard her vessel. Once on Mustafar, Amidala attempted to reason with Vader and pleaded that he run away with her so they could live their lives in peace. Once Vader saw Kenobi, however, he used the Force to choke his wife into unconsciousness.

Following a lightsaber duel between Kenobi and Vader, in which Vader was left horribly burned and mutilated on the bank of a lava river and in need of a cybernetic suit to survive, Kenobi took the unconscious Amidala to the asteroid colony of Polis Massa. The droid doctors found out that she was dying, having lost the will to live, but she held on long enough to give birth to her twins: Luke and Leia. She died moments after, fulfilling Vader's visions, though she still believed that there was good in Vader. In order to keep the children safe from Vader, who was unaware of their births, it was decided that Luke would be taken to live with his uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars, on Tatooine; meanwhile Leia was taken to Alderaan as the adopted child of Amidala's friend and colleague, Senator Bail Organa, and his wife, Queen Breha Organa. Amidala's body was taken to Naboo aboard Organa's ship, the Tantive III, and prepared by mortician Commodex Tahn, who made it look as if she had died pregnant. Her death was attributed to the alleged Jedi Rebellion that had prompted Order 66.

Padmé Amidala's funeral took place in Theed, the capital of Naboo. The funeral was attended by thousands of mourners who paid their respects to their beloved senator.

Among the attendees were Queen Apailana, Sio Bibble, the Governor of Theed who served as one of Amidala's advisers when she was Queen of Naboo; Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, another close friend of Amidala and fellow senator who knew who was truly to blame for the death; Jar Jar Binks, the Gungan representative in the Galactic Senate; Rugor Nass, former Boss of the Gungans; several of her former handmaidens and Amidala's family, including her parents Jobal and Ruwee, her sister Sola, and her nieces Ryoo and Pooja, who all wore dark clothing to reflect their sadness and their mourning of her death. Both Organa and Mothma also wore black clothing.

Arriving on Naboo with former Clone Captain CT-7567 "Rex" aboard their BTL-B Y-wing fighter, Skywalker's former Padawan Ahsoka Tano arrived on Naboo to attend the funeral of her friend. Amidala's funeral contained an open casket procession drawn through Theed by four gualaar , in which her hands clutched a japor snippet—one meant to bring her good fortune—that her husband had made for her shortly after they first met. She was also dressed in a blue gown with small white blossoms and ribbons in her hair to have the appearance of floating in water. Wearing a hood to hide her identity, Tano watched as the casket was drawn through Theed but was noticed by Organa.

During the funeral procession, Organa noticed Tano amongst those in the crowd. Though she left, Organa followed after her, telling her that she shouldn't have come as there was nothing she could have done, for either Amidala or Skywalker. When Organa asked her why she would risk it, Tano simply responded that "she was [her] friend". The two then heard a patrol of clones approaching and Organa led Tano away to a nearby terrace, so that she could reach her ship by the river. Organa gave Tano a comlink device so that she could contact him should she need him, but Tano claimed that she was done fighting.

A pair of clones then approached Organa, with Tano climbing onto a nearby roof before she could be spotted, who asked for identification, which he provided. Once Organa had been identified, one of the clones told him that there were imperial orders that no one was allowed there. Organa apologized stating that it was easy to get lost with all that had happened but they still had a duty and an obligation to uphold when they were able. Organa deliberately said this within earshot of Tano. The clone then stated that they had to escort Organa back to the procession, which Organa said he understood, then told the clones, secretly still speaking to Tano, that should they ever need anything, to contact him. The clones, though confused, escorted Organa back to the procession while Tano jumped off the roof and made her way towards the river where Rex was waiting for her next to their ship.

After Amidala's funeral her former handmaiden Sabé decided to return to Coruscant with Tonra in order to investigate Amidala's death. Sabé was forced to leave behind the locket that Amidala had once given her. Sabé then received a message from Bail Organa. Amidala was laid to rest in a tomb, despite the Naboo tradition of cremation, which was guarded by a larger-than-life statue of Amidala in her throne room gown.

The fact that Amidala had given birth to twins was a secret known only to a few after her death. Nineteen years later, her children met for the first time—they did not, however, know that they were siblings—during the Galactic Civil War. Vader later learned that Luke was his son and that Amidala had indeed given birth, and he attempted to seduce Luke to the dark side of the Force. It was confirmed by rogue archaeologist Doctor Aphra, whose droid companion 0-0-0 tortured Tahn for the information. Many Naboo, meanwhile, formed a resistance movement, calling themselves the Amidalans in honor of their lost queen and, to bring justice for her death. Amongst them were Tonra, Sabé and Amidala's other former handmaidens; Rabé, Saché, Eirtaé and Dormé .

When Skywalker rejected his offer to join him, Vader began to quest to learn about his past, leading to a battle at the Tomb of Padmé Amidala against the Amidalans. Luke remained true and ultimately learned that Leia, who had some faint memories of their mother, was his sister. During the Battle of Endor, Luke set out to redeem his father from the dark side of the Force. His efforts were successful; Sidious attempted to kill Luke with a barrage of Force lightning, but Vader stepped in to rescue his son and kill the Emperor. Vader, once again Anakin Skywalker, died as a result of the injuries he sustained in killing the Emperor, but not before proving Amidala's final words true: there was still good within him.

The funeral of Padmé Amidala was one of the final scenes in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, written and directed by Star Wars creator George Lucas. The scene was filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia on September 16, 2003, the 57th day of filming on Revenge of the Sith. One of the primary actors involved in the shooting of the scene was Keisha Castle-Hughes, who portrayed Queen Apailana. In addition to Hughes were individuals dressed as hooded dignitaries, blue guards, and two dozen other people. Oliver Ford Davies briefly reprised his role from the prior two films as Sio Bibble, and the scene also featured cameos from members of the film's crew. These cameos included assistant publicist Lisa Shaunessy and Jacqui Louez, the assistant of Lucas and producer Rick McCallum. Their characters did not, however, appear in the final release of the film.

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