Breha Organa Breha Organa was a human female who served as Queen of the planet Alderaan during the Clone Wars and the early days of the Galactic Civil War . At the end of the Clone Wars , she and her husband , Senator Bail Organa , adopted the newborn Leia . The girl , the daughter of the late Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo and fallen Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker , was raised as Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan . Throughout her years as monarch , the queen personally mentored a select number of young Alderaanian s to teach them the culture and heritage of their planet . During the reign of the Galactic Empire , Organa ' s Alderaan was considered by the Empire to be a source of rebellious activity . The planet became an early supporter of the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Organa and her husband were both killed shortly before the Battle of Yavin , when the Empire destroyed Alderaan with its deep space mobile battle station , the Death Star . Biography . Early life . A member of the galaxy ' s Elder Houses , the girl who would become Breha Organa hailed from the planet of Alderaan , a peaceful and influential planet . She was related to Bail Antilles , who represented their home planet in the Senate of the Galactic Republic . As a child , she grew up in the Royal Palace of Aldera , the planet ' s capital city . She was introduced to Alderaanian pacifist values by her mother , and was first in line to inherit the mantle of Queen of Alderaan . At the age of sixteen , she underwent her Day of Demand ceremony , during which she claimed her right to the throne by naming three challenges she would have to complete to prove herself worthy . While completing her Challenge of the Body , Breha suffered a bad fall , and her injuries nearly killed her , if not for the quick action by the guards who were observing at a distance . Although she did survive , her heart and lung s had to be replaced by pulmonodes . Unlike most people who received such mechanized organ replacements , however , she refused to encase them in new flesh and skin , choosing instead to keep them visible as a reminder that she lived . At some point after the accident , Breha ascended to the throne and married Bail Organa , a fellow Alderaanian noble who was a distant kinsman to Lord Mellowyn of Birren . Although she and her spouse wished to have a child , the stress placed on the Queen ' s body from the incident led the couple to decide to adopt an heir instead of trying to conceive one . Queen of Alderaan . By the time of the Clone Wars , a conflict between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems , Breha Organa ruled as the Queen of Alderaan . She was a relative of Bail Antilles , a former senator of Alderaan in the Galactic Senate , and the wife of his successor , the Senator and Viceroy Bail Organa . She also served as the minister of education for her planet . During Queen Breha ' s reign , and through her husband ' s efforts in the Senate , Alderaan advocated ending the war , due to the planet ' s pacifist beliefs , and hosted a conference to assist refugee s displaced by the galactic conflict . When the Clone Wars came to an end , Supreme Chancellor Palpatine — secretly the Dark Lord of the Sith , Darth Sidious , who manipulated the conflict to his own tyranical ends — abolished the Republic and transformed it into the Galactic Empire , with himself as absolute ruler . He also issued Order 66 , a command to all clone trooper s to kill their Jedi leaders , thus destroying the Jedi Order . During that time , Senator Padmé Amidala gave birth to twin s , Luke and Leia , before dying . The children ' s father , Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker , had also turned to the dark side of the Force and become Darth Vader bringing an end to both the Jedi and the Separatists . Knowing that the children would be in danger if the Sith discovered their existence — both the Emperor and Vader believed that Amidala died before giving birth — it was decided that Jedi Master Obi - Wan Kenobi would take Luke to live with Vader ' s family on Tatooine . With the consent of both Kenobi and Master Yoda , Bail decided that he and his wife would adopt Leia and raise her as their daughter ; the two had always wanted to adopt a girl . In the years that followed the Emperor ' s rise to power , the Queen personally mentored a select number of young Alderaanians , teaching them about the heritage of their homeworld . One of her pupils in particular , a girl named Evaan Verlaine , was so thankful for that privilege that she developed a staunch , lifelong loyalty to the House of Organa and became a committed royalist . Breha ' s husband , while still part of the ceremonial Imperial Senate , became involved in an underground rebel network , which ultimately evolved into a formal Alliance to Restore the Republic . Alderaan was among the earliest supporters of the Alliance , although its officials cautiously avoided supporting it openly . The Queen and her husband became close friends with Jan Dodonna , a General in the Alliance . In time , Prince ss Leia replaced her father in the Senate and joined the Alliance . At some point , the Queen passed down her necklace , the chalcedony waves , to the princess . In 9 BBY , the Queen officiated a ceremony at Aldera during which Miara Larte of the Alderaanian consular security was promoted to the rank of captain at the request of the viceroy . On that day , several other promotions were handed out as well . Death and legacy . Shortly before the Battle of Yavin , Vader — who did not know Leia was his daughter — captured the princess , who had been part of the theft of the plans to the Death Star , the Empire ' s planet - killing deep space mobile battle station . Leia was captured and brought aboard the Death Star , where she was interrogated for information about the location of the Rebel base — the Great Temple on Yavin 4 . Because she refused to provide the location , Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin , the station ' s commander and Governor of the Outer Rim Territories , threatened to destroy Alderaan if she did not comply . The princess provided a false location and , though Tarkin trusted her , the Grand Moff nonetheless chose to target Alderaan ; the Empire considered it to be a haven for rebellious activity , and Tarkin believed destroying it would be an effective demonstration of the station ' s power . The planet was destroyed upon being hit by the Death Star ' s superlaser , killing all who resided upon it — including Queen Breha and her husband . Breha had worried about Leia while she was on her mission , and as Bail was away , she could not talk to anyone else , due to security concerns . She was supposed to be planning for the upcoming equinox festivities , but had no enthusiasm for it . Bail ' s return home from Yavin 4 only amplified Breha ' s worry , as the Viceroy had learned that the " Tantive IV " , Leia ' s ship , had been captured and destroyed . The Queen knew nothing of her daughter ' s fate , and was intensely worried . Breha and Bail saw the Death Star eclipse Alderaan ' s sun , and the Viceroy , horrified , realized what was about to happen and told his wife . They died together , both hoping that Leia was still alive and safe . After the planet ' s destruction , which Alderaanians who were off - world took to calling " the Disaster , " the Rebel Alliance managed to destroy the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin . Statues of the Queen and the Viceroy were raised in the Rebel base on Yavin 4 as a tribute to the royal couple . During a ceremony commemorating the Rebellion ' s victory , Leia asked that the Rebels in attendance honor those who died on Alderaan , including her adoptive parent s . Evaan , likewise , paid her respects to the royals in front of the statues . As Leia coped with her loss in a way that made her seem indifferent , Evaan resented the princess for not mourning her parents properly . Evaan nonetheless pledged her loyalty to the princess , and the two left Yavin 4 on a mission to save living Alderaanians from the wrath of the Empire . Eventually , Breha ' s chalcedony waves were bestowed upon the Sullustan Nien Nunb , as a reward for his help evacuating Alderaanian from Sullust . Personality and traits . Breha Organa was a human female with tan - skin , black - hair , and brown eye s . Shortly after the end of the Clone Wars , she wore a blue metallic gown with slit sleeves and a collar adorned with a gold buckle - like brooch . When she wore that gown , the Queen braided a golden fabric into her hair , wrapped it around her head , and put on a semi - transparent blue shawl . She attached a great importance to education , taking time to teach several pupils in - person , in addition to her royal duties . Skills and abilities . Unbeknownst to most people , including her daughter , Breha Organa mastered several forms of hand - to - hand fighting , and she mentored a group of selected pupils in combat . Behind the scenes . Character origins . " Queen Breha " first appeared in George Lucas ' s 1974 of what would become , where she was the wife of King Kayos of Aquilae , and the mother of a spoiled , fourteen - year - old Princess Leia . In this 132 - page early story treatment , Breha was described as " a warm , silver - haired matron . " Leia ' s mother was absent from the final version of the story , which was released on the silver screen on May 25 , 1977 . However , in 2013 , George Lucas ' s rough draft was adapted into a non - canon comic book series called " The Star Wars " . That series featured the character Breha of Aquilae , drawn by Mike Mayhew in a style that resembles a of Princess Leia in Cloud City , originally made by Ralph McQuarrie for . George Lucas resurrected the character early in the production of , the third installment of the " Star Wars " prequel trilogy . In December 2002 , he informed his production staff that Princess Leia ' s surrogate mother would appear in the movie . Lucas described her as a trustworthy , peaceful woman in her mid - thirties , and illustrator Iain McCaig drew several conceptual artworks based on that description . In one of his drawings , McGaig gave Breha the traits of Padmé Amidala , in an attempt to explain how Leia could remember seeing the smile of her mother . In another piece of concept art , McCaig sought to recreate the likeness of his wife Leonor . Portrayal . In May 2005 , Breha Organa made her on - screen debut in " Star Wars " : Episode III " Revenge of the Sith " , in which she was portrayed by actress and singer Rebecca Jackson Mendoza . Despite being a fan of the original trilogy , Jackson Mendoza did not immediately realize the significance of her role in the " Star Wars " franchise . When her brothers helped her understand that the Queen was none other than the adopted mother of Princess Leia , her excitement over the role increased . Rebecca Jackson Mendoza remembered having watched the original trilogy as a child , wishing she could be Princess Leia . In light of all that , Jackson Mendoza came to regard that role as something of an accomplishment . A single robe , referred to as the " Alderaan Palace Dress " in " " , was created for Jackson Mendoza by Trisha Biggar , who worked as costume designer for all three prequel films . That robe , which Jackson Mendoza compared to a " green wedding gown , " was originally going to be made of velvet , until the fabric was changed for fear it would come off too dark on screen .