Theed Royal Palace

Widely regarded as the most beautiful structure in Theed, hence its nickname "Jewel of Naboo," the expansive and ornate Theed Royal Palace stood proudly in the city of Theed. This city is the capital of the Mid Rim planet Naboo, and home to its human inhabitants. The palace was built on a plateau bisected by the Solleu River and its Virdugo Plunge, nestled between Palace Plaza and the Cliffs of Theed. Combining grandeur with antiquity, its architectural design mirrored that of the surrounding city, featuring numerous interconnected sandstone towers adorned with vibrant green domes and brass trim. One such tower, located near the palace's rear next to a skywalk, housed a library collection established by King Ars Veruna during his reign.

The palace expanded incrementally, following the tradition of each new monarch adding a new tower or turret, an act for which they would then seek public approval. Over time, Theed's streets and buildings were designed to extend outward from the palace, emphasizing its central role. The palace's main entrance, situated beyond four statues and a staircase, often served as the endpoint for the city's grand parades. A watchtower was positioned on the side of the building. A short distance away, the royal boathouse was located at the base of the cliffs.

As a grand and imposing structure, the Royal Palace dominated Theed and the surrounding landscape. The city's layout, with streets and buildings radiating from the palace, underscored its significance. The surrounding buildings were intentionally kept low, and the palace was surrounded by parks and public spaces, ensuring it remained the focal point of the city's skyline. The primary access to the palace was through the Palace Plaza, which culminated in a wide set of steps leading to the main portico of the Royal Palace. The plaza, steps, and portico served as the venue for inauguration ceremonies for new monarchs and other significant public events. Flanking the stairs were statues of Naboo's most influential philosophers, artists, and historical figures. Following the Invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation, an area of Theed adjacent to the palace, which had sustained severe damage during the invasion, was replaced by the Palace Courtyard, an enclosure intended to promote enlightenment.

Inside, the palace featured bright and airy spaces, characterized by high, arched ceilings and numerous windows, which created a sense of openness even in smaller areas. Many hallways were lined with towering columns on either side.

The central interior space consisted of the throne room and a meeting hall used for gatherings between the monarch and the Naboo Royal Advisory Council. A southwest hall, simply decorated but featuring large windows that offered panoramic views of the city and its surroundings, served as a venue for more casual meetings. Other rooms included offices and living quarters for the Naboo Palace Guard, responsible for protecting the monarch.

Naboo's queens occupied a suite on the fifth floor, which included a dressing room with an extensive wardrobe system, a sitting room, a small meeting room, and three bedrooms, one specifically for the queen. The queen also had a private library located down the hall from the royal apartments, reserved for her exclusive use. The Turret Room was situated in a square tower near the palace's rear. Many rooms opened onto outdoor terraces and balconies. The palace also contained numerous unused chambers, secret rooms, and forgotten corridors.

Prior to the development of the N-1 starfighter, the caverns beneath the palace housed the Royal Starport, a private facility used by Naboo's rulers and volunteer security forces. The N-1's need for a consistent power supply led to the relocation of the Royal Starport next to the Theed power generator, transforming it into the Theed Hangar, which was connected to the palace via a secret tunnel. The former starport then served as barracks for the palace guard and on-duty pilots.

During the Great Time of Peace in 832 BBY, the Theed Royal Palace was constructed by the people of Theed along the Solleu River on the Cliffs of Theed under the direction of King Jafan, who recently unified the Naboo and ended the Time of Suffering. The palace later became the residence of King Ars Veruna, who reigned over Naboo for thirteen years and oversaw the construction of Veruna's tower, which housed a large royal library established by Veruna. In 382 BBY, during the High Republic Era, Jedi Knight Gella Nattai recognized an image of the palace on a screen displaying galactic locations in a library on Supreme Chancellor Orlen Mollo's Longbeam cruiser Paxion.

Throughout the Republic Era, the palace continued to serve as the home of Naboo's monarchs, many of whom added towers to the structure. One such addition was the Overlook stage, built near the palace's rear, which was used to celebrate the Naboo holiday Festival of Light as a prominent fixture in the world's holiday schedule.

In 32 BBY, shortly after Padmé Amidala's ascension to the throne as Queen of Naboo, she informed her head of security, Quarsh Panaka, that she would only allow her handmaidens to serve as her bodyguards in her private chambers. In response, Panaka implemented additional security measures, including a weapons cache hidden in the window seat, containing various items to aid the Queen, as well as several sensors to detect perimeter breaches, weapon discharges, and one to detect the presence of blood. However, Panaka's wife, Mariek Panaka, insisted that he remove the blood sensor following an incident involving Saché, the queen's youngest handmaiden.

Early in her reign, Amidala hosted a summit at the palace, inviting leaders from other planets in the Chommell sector to foster improved relations, reversing the isolationist policies of her predecessor, Queen Sanandrassa. Leading up to the summit, Panaka implemented heightened security measures, including a compartment in the centuries-old throne capable of concealing two blaster pistols. This modification was carried out by Eirtaé, one of Amidala's handmaidens and an engineer, who designed the compartment to be accessible only to the queen.

During the Trade Federation's occupation of Naboo, the palace was seized and repurposed as their headquarters. Viceroy Nute Gunray and his senior officers resided there until Queen Amidala led forces in an assault to recapture the palace and apprehend Gunray. Subsequently, Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had fought in the Battle of Naboo, was knighted by Yoda in the Turret Room within the palace. Celebrations commemorating the Trade Federation's defeat were held on the palace stairs, where Amidala, wearing the Jubilation dress, held the Globe of Peace.

Following the invasion, the wing leading to the Theed Hangar was sealed off, and, controversially, an ion pulse system was installed in the palace as a preventative measure against future invasions. This system, powered by relays throughout the city, disabled electronic devices, including vehicles and weapons, within its range, except for those inside the palace. Additionally, several paintings and stained glass windows depicting Amidala's handmaidens in their flame-colored robes were commissioned for the palace shortly after the invasion, including one showing the handmaidens carrying a canopy over the queen. The droid R2-D2 retained a copy of this artwork in his memory and displayed it to Amidala on at least one occasion, and the recognized the piece as from the Theed palace.

After Padmé's term as queen concluded, the palace became the residence of her successor, Réillata, who had previously served as queen before Amidala's reign. Following her second coronation, Réillata entered the throne room with Amidala and others, where she requested that Amidala succeed Senator Oshadam as the Chommell sector's representative in the Galactic Senate. Amidala then retreated to one of the palace rooms with her entourage, where she decided to accept Réillata's offer. Amidala returned to the palace again, after her first full session in the senate, to talk with Réillata about her progress. Réillata also oversaw the final construction of the coin pulse.

The palace later became the residence of Queen Jamillia. In 22 BBY, Amidala returned to the palace to confer with Jamillia and the Advisory Council regarding the Separatist Crisis and the looming threat of war. In the same year, shortly after the First Battle of Geonosis, Jamillia prepared to step down from office, which would mean she would no longer live at the palace. The handmaiden Dormé sent recommendation letters to the palace for several candidates she had interviewed to be one of Amidala's handmaidens, thinking the individuals would be better suited to life in the Theed court. Around this time, the handmaiden Sabé thought fondly of her time living in the palace as one of Amidala's handmaidens years prior, including when they had snuck out to see a Neurotransmitter Affection concert.

Not long after, Jamillia had been replaced by the noticeably younger Queen Neeyutnee who ruled during the Clone Wars and moved fighter operations out of the palace. At Neeyutnee's request, Padmé returned once more when the presence of battle droids was discovered on Naboo and later for the Festival of Light, an event which celebrated Naboo joining the Galactic Republic. The festival took place in the Overlook stage of the palace courtyard under a ray shield and was the scene of an attempt to kidnap Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. Another attempt was made by Count Dooku in the palace dining room, but he retreated in failure after a duel with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Amidala occasionally thought of her time as queen in the palace, mentally picturing herself with her handmaidens there shortly prior to a mission to Clabron.

Upon the formation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, the queen at the time was Apailana, who was eventually replaced by Queen Dalné. However, the position of Monarch of Naboo was almost entirely ceremonial, with the true power lying in the hands of Moff Quarsh Panaka. However, Panaka spent most of his time in his chalet on Onoam, leaving Dalné in the palace. In 3 BBY, Dalné looked out her palace's windows and contemplated the world's moon, Onoam. She decided to depart the palace and travel to the moon, having little else to occupy her time by that point. Organa apologized to Dalné upon arrival, having assumed the queen would have remained in the Theed palace.

In 3 ABY, Sith Lord Darth Vader, who had once been Anakin Skywalker, flew past the Royal Palace in an Imperial shuttle to visit the Tomb of Padmé Amidala, which the palace overlooked and could be seen from.

After the Battle of Endor which marked the fall of the Empire, celebrations took place in the plaza in front of the palace. By this point, Naboo was ruled by Queen Sosha Soruna, who stayed at the palace with her entourage including her head of security Captain Korro and her handmaidens.

Twenty days after the Battle of Endor, Soruna greeted Leia Organa and her pilot, Shara Bey, in the throne room where she offered her support to the New Republic that the rebellion was beginning to found. They were interrupted however when the Empire cut off their communications and Soruna had to open up the Theed Hanger, for the first time in over twenty years, using the Queen's Authority Override.

During the Battle of Theed against the Empire on Naboo, which was targeted by Emperor Palpatine, who hailed from Naboo, as part of Operation: Cinder, Rebel forces managed to activate the ion pulse and hold the palace. With the Imperials' weapons disabled and those of the rebels still functioning, the day was won by the Alliance. A picture of the palace was included in the Naboo section of the book Galactic Explorer's Guide, authored by the pirate Hondo Ohnaka and his protocol droid DK-RA-43 at some point after the Battle of Crait in 34 ABY.

The Theed Royal Palace made its debut in the 1999 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. For the film's production, Doug Chiang, Edwin Natividad, and Jay Shuster contributed to the palace's visual design through production paintings and storyboards, while Brian Flora created a matte painting of the palace and its plaza. The final conceptual design of the palace's facade was the work of Kurt Kaufman, and Ellen Lee crafted a foam core model of Theed, including the palace. Natividad's concept art for the massive statues flanking the palace entrance aimed to depict them as marble figures standing approximately 100 feet tall.

Under the direction of George Lucas, the Italian Renaissance-inspired design of Theed gradually transformed into a city paradise, replete with lush gardens and flowing rivers. The desired fusion of real-world aesthetics emerged after months of studying Moorish, Italian, Moroccan, and Turkish architecture. Gavin Bocquet, the production designer, collaborated with producer Rick McCallum to identify a building that could inspire the city's palace. In 1997, the Palazzo Reale of Caserta, Italy, was chosen as the model for the film's palace interior. The baroque-rococo structure, built in 1752 to emulate Versailles, seamlessly integrated with the art department's design work, its interior reflecting Theed's strength and splendor, as well as its light sense of beauty and amiability. For the palace's throne room, Natividad experimented with various shapes and materials, such as wood, marble, and metal, to find a configuration that best matched the Palazzo Reale, eventually settling on a sophisticated yet aggressive conical shape for the table. The throne itself was designed to be low and wide, allowing for backlighting, and were designed to emphasize Amidala's costume's unique silhouette, and all of the furniture pieces in the throne room were set dressing for the film.

For the exterior of the palace, the design had to enhance the natural landscape surrounding it, rather than mar it, so as to symbolize Naboo philosophy. Part of the solution was found in the dome-covered, aquaduct-like complex of the Marin County Civic Center in the hills above California's portion of U.S. Route 101. Further inspiration was drawn from the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, for its multi-sized domes and six minarets along with its sense of symmetry; these inspirations were mixed with Venetian architecture to create the overall look of the palace exterior.

The Honour Grand Staircase within the Palazzo Reale served as the filming location for the sequence where Amidala is led down the Royal Staircase by Gunray and Haako. Through clever editing and camera angles, the lion statues situated at the base of the stairs were concealed. The corridor positioned at the summit of the staircase is where the exchange between Gunray, Haako, and the holographic image of Darth Sidious was shot; the throne room's location is behind the camera's vantage point during that particular scene. Dissatisfied with the existing light fixtures in one of the palace's corridors, Lucas had them substituted for the film's final cut. The palace's archways that opened to the exterior were digitally augmented with tanks and battle droids, or alternatively, with a matte painting.