Julie Andrews confirms she is not returning in The Princess Diaries 3: 'I'm retired'

The Princess Diaries is coming back for a third instalment. While fans are excited to travel back to the fictional kingdom of Genovia with Anne Hathaway, The Princess Diaries will not feature legendary actress Julie Andrews. The 90-year-old acting legend has recently confirmed that she will not be returning for the third instalment of the Disney franchise. The film follows 2001's 'The Princess Diaries' and 2004's 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'.

While speaking to InStyle, Andrews stated, "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."

The veteran star may not have appeared in a major live-action film in years, but she still continues 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 is not coming back for the third instalment, Anne Hathaway has confirmed she will be reprising her role as Mia Thermopolis. The first film had Hathaway playing an ordinary teenager who discovers she is heir to the throne of the fictional kingdom of Genovia.

Hathaway has had a busy 2026, with back to back film releases. She confirmed that work on 'The Princess Diaries 3' is on in full swing. 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 had said in an interview earlier. The actress explained that it “became impossible to focus on both at the same time.”

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’.

About The Princess Diaries

The first film, 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 along with Julie Andrews.

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, grossed USD 165.3 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics, but 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, released in 2004, saw Hathaway and Andrews reprising their roles. The film also featured Chris Pine in his feature-film debut as Nicholas Devereaux, Mia’s love interest.