20 August,2026 01:24 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
A still from The Princess Diaries. Pic via X
Fans hoping to see Julie Andrews return as the iconic Queen Clarisse in The Princess Diaries 3 may have to make peace with her decision to sit this one out. But according to Anne Hathaway, Disney and the makers of the upcoming sequel certainly tried to bring the beloved actor back.
Hathaway, who is set to reprise her role as Mia Thermopolis, told Entertainment Tonight at D23 that the door remains open for Julie Andrews should she ever have a change of heart. While the legendary actor has chosen not to return, Hathaway made it clear that the team remains respectful of her decision.
Speaking about her former co-star, Hathaway said, "First of all, I just want to say if she has a change of heart, we're down." She added that the team wanted to respect Andrews' wishes, especially considering her extraordinary contribution to the world of entertainment.
"For goodness sakes, if anybody has contributed to the world of entertainment and to our collective joy, it's her," Hathaway said. "Whatever she wants, we completely understand. We did push really hard to see if she would want to do it."
Andrews recently confirmed that she would not be stepping back into Queen Clarisse's shoes. The actor, who played Mia's regal grandmother and mentor in the first two Princess Diaries films, revealed that she had been approached about returning but ultimately decided against it.
Speaking about her decision to Today, Andrews said, "I think I probably passed⦠I think I'm retired, really, would be about the best description for that." She also admitted that saying no was "very, very hard," but felt that she had already had a wonderful journey with the franchise.
While Queen Clarisse may not be returning for now, Hathaway is clearly thinking about the generations of fans who grew up with Mia's journey from awkward teenager to Genovian royalty.
The actor said she wants the third film to be a fun experience for those who were children when the original movie released and have now grown up themselves. "The women who were six when the first one came out, a lot of whom are now mothers themselves, maybe even with six-year-olds, I want them to feel like they're bringing their children to something that mattered to them," Hathaway shared.
The upcoming film will see Hathaway return to the role that became one of her most memorable early-career performances. While Andrews' absence will undoubtedly leave a Queen Clarisse-sized gap in Genovia, Hathaway's comments suggest that the royal invitation will remain waiting for her.
