Julie Andrews will not appear in The Princess Diaries 3. The actress said on August 10 that she considers herself retired from new onscreen projects, closing the door on the reunion many Fans of The Princess Diaries expected.
“I think I'm retired, really, would be about the best description for that,” Andrews said in an interview with InStyle. She also said the creative team asked her all last year about joining the film, and that saying no was “very, very hard.”
2001 to Royal Engagement
The Princess Diaries debuted in theaters in 2001, and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement followed in 2004. More than two decades later, the franchise is still drawing interest because The Princess Diaries 3 has been in development for some time, and the absence of a central original player changes the reunion math immediately.
Andrews did not leave much room for ambiguity about her role in the next film. She said the project “would flourish very well and wouldn't need Granny going in there at my age,” which means the sequel can still move ahead without her, but not as the full original lineup many viewers likely imagined.
Julie Andrews and Clarisse
Andrews remains active in voice work, but she drew a clear line between that and appearing onscreen in new projects. The contrast is plain: she is still working, just not in front of the camera for this sequel, and that leaves The Princess Diaries 3 with one less original anchor tied to Clarisse and the first two films.
For Fans of The Princess Diaries, the practical takeaway is simple. If they were waiting for a cast reunion built around Andrews’ return, that version is off the table now; the sequel will have to sell itself on the material and on Anne Hathaway’s presence rather than on the full original pairing.
Netflix and season 5
Andrews also said her current work is not tied to this franchise move. She remains the voice of Lady Whistledown on Bridgerton, and Bridgerton season 5 is in development at Netflix, which shows she is still attached to major projects even as she steps away from live-action roles.
The open question is whether The Princess Diaries 3 will answer the nostalgia gap with a different cast plan or simply press forward without trying to replace Andrews at all.
