From StarWars.com:
“It’s likely you don’t know the names and faces of more than one or two of Padmé Amidala’s handmaidens…and that’s how they prefer it. Completely loyal to the young queen and future senator, many of her handmaidens even took new names once they entered Padmé’s service as a way to honor her. Their outfits were always chosen to complement Amidala’s, often with hoods to obscure their faces.
The Naboo handmaidens hold a unique place in Star Wars lore as bodyguards, wardrobe attendants, and political aides. Their bravery is even more impressive once their youth is taken into account; the youngest handmaiden was all of twelve years old at the start.
For their loyalty to and love for Amidala alone, they deserve some time in the spotlight.
Spoiler warning: This story contains minor details and plot points from the book Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow.
Sabé
While never mentioned by name in the films, Sabé is one of the handmaidens most well-known to fans given her prominent status as the decoy queen in The Phantom Menace. Padmé and Sabé worked together to develop a voice for Amidala to help add another layer to the deception begun by their resemblance and the elaborate dresses and traditional make-up. All six women also created a code (verbal and non-verbal) so they could communicate unnoticed. Sabé had a particularly close friendship with Padmé and was the only handmaiden to remain in Amidala’s service after she left the throne.
Out of Universe: Sabé was played by Keira Knightley and was such a close physical match for Natalie Portman that even the actresses’ mothers couldn’t tell them apart when dressed as Queen Amidala.
Rabé
The only handmaiden to have lines as herself in The Phantom Menace, Rabé accompanied her queen off of Naboo on the mission to Coruscant. She served as the queen’s wardrobe mistress and an artist with hairstyles, ensuring that every piece of the queen’s wardrobe could protect her in addition to being beautifully crafted. Nothing in the wardrobe was without function. Her talents at reading body language and lips were equally useful to the queen over the years. She went on to study music at a prestigious academy in Theed after Amidala’s term as queen came to an end.
Out of Universe: Rabé was played by Karol Cristina da Silva. […]”
Read the full article at StarWars.com.
Naboo News 