star wars - Why was Padmé made to clean an astromech?

Reading the answer to a question about Sabé (the Amidala stand-in) I remembered that I always wondered why she ordered the actual queen to scrub R2-D2. There were enough actual servants who could have done it, so why Padmé? If that wasn't enough, after giving the actual queen (Padmé) the order to go away, she tells Panaka to continue with the discussion. How does that make sense?

The significant piece of dialogue:

AMIDALA : Thank you, Artoo Detoo. You have proven to be very loyal...Padme! ...
AMIDALA : (Cont'd) Clean this droid up the best you can. It deserves our gratitude...(to Panaka) Continue, Captain.

Note that this question is two-fold:

Why was Padmé chosen in the first place?

Why would an important meeting with the ship's captain be continued without her?

Answer

It underscores the subterfuge - if the "queen" were deferential and reluctant to use a particular handmaiden as a servant, that would raise suspicions. If Padme wanted to be seen as a servant, she would have walk the walk.

I think that Sabé was well-trained enough to handle the situation. They were out of danger, and she could couch any major decision she was pressed for as "I need some time to think about it", huddle with Padme, and there you are. If you've cultivated a habit of consulting your handmaidens anyway, this seems perfectly logical - I suspect that the handmaidens are probably noble-born and highly educated as well.

Comments

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