Julie Andrews has confirmed that she will not reprise her beloved role as Queen Clarisse Renaldi in much talked about ‘The Princess Diaries 3’.

Julie Andrews NOT returning for ‘Princess Diaries‘

The 90-year-old acting legend confirmed to InStyle that she has decided not to return for the third instalment of the Disney franchise, which follows 2001’s ‘The Princess Diaries’ and 2004’s ‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’. In the interview, Andrews said, “I think I probably passed… I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that.”The actress explained, “They asked me all last year if I would be keen to do 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.”

Julie Andrews on voicing Lady Whistledown

Andrews has not appeared in a major live-action film in years, although she has continued to work as a voice actor and narrator. Her recent credits include Minions: The Rise of Gru, The King’s Daughter and Aquaman, as well as Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton, in which she voices the mysterious narrator Lady Whistledown.The actress said she particularly enjoys working on Bridgerton because she can record her dialogue from home.“I do it mostly to keep my brain alive,” Andrews told the publication.

Anne Hathaway confirms ‘The Princess Diaries 3’ on the cards

While Andrews will not be returning, Anne Hathaway remains keen to reprise her role as Mia Thermopolis, the ordinary teenager who discovers she is heir to the throne of the fictional kingdom of Genovia.Hathaway, who has been on a roll this year, with back to back film releases, confirmed that work on ‘The Princess Diaries 3’ is on in full seing. Speaking about the film, Hathaway said she and her team are “constantly working on it”. “[The Devil Wears Prada 2] cropped up unexpectedly and took over the space,” Hathaway said, explaining that it “became impossible to focus on both at the same time,” as quoted by Deadline.Despite the delay, the Oscar winner made it clear that, “The intention is to make Princess Diaries hopefully next.

What we know about ‘The Princess Diaries 3’

‘The Princess Diaries’ was helmed by Garry Marshall from a screenplay by Gina Wendkos. The film marked the debut of Anne Hathaway. It is based on Meg Cabot’s eponymous novel, and also starred Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Caroline Goodall, and Robert Schwartzman.In the film, shy American teenager Mia Thermopolis (played by Anne Hathaway) learns she is crown princess of Genovia and receives tutelage from her estranged grandmother Clarisse Renaldi (Andrews), Genovia’s reigning queen, as she decides whether to claim or renounce her title.The film was a sleeper hit, and grossed USD 165.3 million worldwide, as it defied industry expectations of an underperformance due to its G-rating and subject matter. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and established Anne Hathaway as a bankable star. Andrews played Mia’s grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi, the regal figure responsible for preparing her granddaughter for royal life.The sequel, ‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’, arrived in 2004 and saw Hathaway return alongside Andrews. The film also featured Chris Pine in his feature-film debut as Nicholas Devereaux, Mia’s love interest.In 2024, Deadline reported that Adele Lim, known for co-writing Crazy Rich Asians, was set to direct ‘The Princess Diaries 3’ for Disney.