Julie Andrews (Walton-on-Thames, 90 years old) has confirmed that she will not be part of the cast of Princess Diaries 3. There were rumors that the star of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music would join this highly anticipated third installment of the saga starring Anne Hathaway to once again play her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi of Genovia, but, according to the British actress this Tuesday, August 11, to The Hollywood Reporter, fans can save their expectations. “I think the only truth is that I have already left all that behind,” she admitted in a joint interview with her daughter, author Emma Walton Hamilton.
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Mother and daughter are promoting the new children’s book they created together, Shy. Inspired by Andrews’ dog, it tells the story of a shy puppy who discovers the magic of music. “I’m not completely retired, but now I dedicate myself to another kind of work: I write books and record many podcasts and voiceovers. But, honestly, I don’t think I should be part of that,” she clarified about her possible appearance in Princess Diaries 3.
In 2020, the Oscar winner — for Mary Poppins — recorded her own podcast, Julie’s Library, in which during six episodes she acted as a storyteller and welcomed “authors, children, and other special guests,” according to Spotify. She has also narrated the classic novel Pride and Prejudice for the Noiser History Podcasts network, whose episodes were released throughout 2025. Additionally, Andrews is the voice of Lady Whistledown in The Bridgertons, an incorporeal but omnipresent character in the successful Netflix series. According to The Mail on Sunday, the actress earned 1.5 million pounds — more than 1.7 million euros — for the eight episodes of the first season, that is, 187,500 pounds per episode — 219,600 euros — just for lending her voice.
According to Andrews in an interview published in InStyle this Monday, the creative team of Princess Diaries 3 had been asking her throughout last year if she would be interested in participating in the new movie. “It was very hard to say no, but I did because I think I had a wonderful experience, and I felt that this movie would work very well and that it wouldn’t need the grandmother at my age,” she confirmed to the magazine specialized in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. In the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress points out that “it’s still wonderful to work on different projects,” but states that she prefers not to do it “in front of the cameras.” “It’s not that I’m not excited. It’s just that I really don’t think I should be part of it now,” she assures.
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Asked about how she would like the plot about the shy teenager who suddenly discovers she is the heir to the throne of a European country to continue, she is not sure either: “The truth is I don’t know. I think it’s the continuation of the second part of Princess Diaries. The story goes on, but now Annie [Anne Hathaway] is also a bit older than when she filmed it. I’m looking forward to seeing what Meg [Cabot, author of the saga of novels on which the movies are based], Annie, and everyone else come up with.” The first movie came to theaters 25 years ago, and the second premiered in 2004, when Hathaway was 21 years old. The actress would film the third part, not yet confirmed, at age 43. “I think the story is a bit different, and I’m not sure how they are approaching it. But it’s already too late for me. I think the story should continue with Princess Mia [Hathaway]. It’s her story, not mine,” Andrews said Monday in another interview with Today.
This summer marked 25 years since the release of the original Princess Diaries film, and Hathaway has already given some hints about what it would be like to reprise Mia Thermopolis on the red carpets of her multiple premieres this year. “I think we’ve taken a big step forward. I think we’re moving in the right direction,” she confirmed at the end of July during the promotion of The Odyssey. “The script we were working on… Well, we had to start from scratch in a new direction, which is not exactly the news anyone would want to hear, but we all have the feeling that this is going to be the definitive one,” she confessed.
The development of Princess Diaries 3 has lasted nearly a decade. Production was halted in 2016 after the death of Garry Marshall, director of the first two films, until Disney revived the project in 2022. In 2024, the company officially confirmed Hathaway’s return to the lead role and the hiring of Adele Lim to direct the new installment, which doesn’t even have a start date for filming yet.
