Julie Andrews Says She Won’t Be In The Princess Diaries 3

Twenty-five years after The Princess Diaries became an instant classic — and marked the beginning of Anne Hathaway’s illustrious film career — viewers are still pining to return to Genovia. But while Julie Andrews reprised her role as Princess (now Queen) Mia’s grandmother Clarisse Renaldi in one sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, she isn’t planning to return for another.

The iconic actor shared the difficult update in a series of interviews while promoting her new children’s book, Shy, which she co-authored with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. “I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that,” she told InStyle on Aug. 11, explaining that while the film’s creative team asked last year if she’d be “keen” to return, she ultimately decided against it. “It was very, very hard to say ‘no,’ but I did because I thought I had a wonderful ride, and this one I felt would flourish very well and wouldn’t need Granny going in there at my age.”

While Andrews said she’s retired, she seemed to make an exception for narration work, like her role as Lady Whistledown on Bridgerton, which she records at home. “I do it mostly to keep my brain alive,” she told the magazine.

Andrews also confirmed to Today that she would not be in the new Princess Diaries film. “I think the story is slightly different, and I’m not quite sure how they’re dealing with that,” she said. “But it’s too late for me to do it. I think the story has to continue in Princess Mia. It’s her story. It’s not really mine.”

Speaking of, what is that story? Hathaway announced in 2024 that a third film was in development, but since then no plot or casting details have been revealed. In April, she reassured fans that the team was “100%” still working on the sequel — but another highly anticipated sequel took focus. “If I learned anything from [Devil Wears Prada 2], it’s that expectations are very, very high, and if you’re going to do it, you have to knock it out of the park,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

In June, producer Debra Martin Chase — who also worked on the two first films — provided another hopeful update. “We are moving in that direction. We’ve done a lot of groundwork,” she told People. “We had hoped to be shooting this year. So, it’s coming. We’re intent upon making it happen. And we’re excited that the people are excited.”