Julie Andrews Declines Return to “The Princess Diaries 3”

The 90-year-old actress Julie Andrews has confirmed she will not reprise Queen Clarisse Renaldi in Disney’s *Princess Diaries* third installment. She said the story’s new direction and her shift toward non-on-camera work led her to decline the offer.

Express Tribune

The original *Princess Diaries* (2001) introduced Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a San-Francisco teen who discovers she is heir to Genovia. Its sequel, *The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement* (2004), continued the franchise’s popularity. Disney announced development of a third film in late 2022, naming screenwriter Aadrita Mukerji. In 2024 Adele Lim was attached to direct, with original producer Debra Martin Chase returning. As of 2026 the project remains in pre-production with no release date.

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• 2001 – *The Princess Diaries* released.

Elle Magazine

• 2004 – *The Princess Diaries 2* released.

Elle Magazine

• Late 2022 – Disney confirms development of a third film.

Elle Magazine

• 2024 – Adele Lim hired as director; screenwriter Aadrita Mukerji announced.

Elle Magazine

• 2025 – Meg Cabot discusses early script, calls it “amazing.”

Elle Magazine

• 2026 – Julie Andrews repeatedly states she will not appear; Anne Hathaway gives script updates.

Express Tribune

• July 16 – Hathaway reports a “story breakthrough” on Andy Cohen’s SiriusXM show “Radio Andy.”

USA Today

• Global box-office for the 2001 film: $165 million.

Variety Magazine

• Global box-office for the 2004 sequel: $134 million.

Variety Magazine

• Julie Andrews (paraphrased) said she feels “past all that now,” prefers voice-over and writing work, and believes the narrative should focus on “Princess Mia” rather than her character. She described the decision as “very, very hard” but felt the new film could “flourish without Granny.”

Bustle Magazine

• Disney has not announced a production schedule, confirming only that the film remains in development.

Elle Magazine

• Adele Lim expressed enthusiasm, noting fans will see “a lot of fun returns” and that production plans to shoot in Europe to showcase Genovia “in its full glory.”

Variety Magazine

• Meg Cabot said she has read an early script and found it “amazing,” adding she is “100 percent behind” the upcoming film.

Elle Magazine

• Anne Hathaway indicated the script underwent a restart after a new direction was chosen. She emphasized confidence in the current version, though filming has not begun and her third pregnancy has delayed scheduling.

Express Tribune

• “I’m not going to be in it.” — Julie Andrews

People Magazine

• “I do it mostly to keep my brain alive.” — Julie Andrews

Variety Magazine

• “ In a separate interview with InStyle, Andrews said she “passed” on taking part in the new Princess Diaries movie, saying, “I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that.” — Julie Andrews

Deadline Hollywood

• No official release date has been disclosed; the IMDb listing notes the film is “in pre-production” with no timeline.

USA Today

• The creative team continues to refine the screenplay, with Adele Lim confirming a “story breakthrough.”

Variety Magazine

• Hathaway’s availability will depend on the completion of her third pregnancy, after which the studio may set a production schedule.

Express Tribune

• Disney has indicated the project remains a priority, but no concrete milestones have been announced.

Elle Magazine

Julie Andrews’s absence shifts *Princess Diaries 3* toward a story centered on Mia Thermopolis’s evolution from princess to queen.

People Magazine