Julie Andrews on Why She Won’t Appear in ‘Princess Diaries 3’

If Julie Andrews were given another opportunity to play Queen Clarisse Renaldi in The Princess Diaries, she doubts she would be a “yes.”

In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 86-year-old actress explained why she doesn’t see herself returning to do a third movie.

“I think it would be too late to do it now. There was talk of a sequel many, many years ago. But I don’t think it ever came to pass. And Garry then did leave us," she said, referring to the death of director Garry Marshall. “Especially [for] me, it’s too far down the line now to go back to it. It’s a lovely thought, but I don’t think it would probably be possible.”

Andrews’s decision to not appear in The Princess Diaries 3 may come as a surprise to some fans. Back in 2019, actress Anne Hathaway revealed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that there was a script for the sequel. She also confirmed that Andrews was already on board for the project.

“I want to do it. Julie [Andrews] wants to do it. Debra Martin Chase, our producer, wants to do it. We all really want it to happen,” she said at the time.

Based on the novel written by Meg Cabot, The Princess Diaries first premiered in 2001 and starred Hathaway (Mia Thermopolis), Andrews (Queen Clarisse Renaldi), Héctor Elizondo (Joe), Heather Matarazzo (Lilly Moscovitz) and Mandy Moore (Lana Thomas). The movie was a commercial success and was followed by the sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004).

So that means we’ll have a Princess Diaries 3 without Queen Clarisse Renaldi? We just can’t fathom it.

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