I was just thinking: How did Padme come to own 3PO? Thinking back to ATC she and Anakin are there on Tatooine looking for his mom. He finds her at the Tusken camp and slaughter everyone there and she dies. The bury her then they intercept the message and zoom, they're off to rescue Obi-wan.

Somehow 3PO has stowed away onboard Padme's ship and he gets the adventure of being decapitated and mixed up with the droid soldier. Next thing we see is him all polished up and working as Padme's butler in ROTS.

What happened after AOTC? Did she just keep 3PO? Did she send Clieg Lars a check and a note saying "take this money, I'm not returning the protocol droid"?

Another thing: Who's paying for all these expensive space cruisers she flies all over the place? I count at least 4 different ones she used in between the 3 prequel movies. All of them are "Nubian" which I suppose are very expensive makes if they cost as much as they appear and if you take Watto's opinion. If I were a Naboo taxpayer I'd be voting to cut her off.

She's a politician, she gets her ships. Though I believe she should have stuck with one ship for the entire PT. Hell, some American carries are still flying fucking Boeing 727s, why does she need a new one so often?

I thought Anakin gave Padme his new bionic right arm as their "wedding present."

Well, it doesn't really count now but there was the deleted scene in AOTC where Padme completed Threepio by adding his coverings while Anakin was off looking for his mother. Owen then told Padme she should keep Threepio because Shmi probably would have wanted it that way.

Here is what I read in the book adaptions:

Cliegg Lars gave C3P0 to Anakin, who later gives the 'bot to his wife as a wedding gift.
Shmi gave C3P0 his coverings before she died.