Hathaway respects Andrews' Princess Diaries 3 decision after efforts

Anne Hathaway has expressed deep respect for Dame Julie Andrews' decision not to return for the upcoming third "Princess Diaries" film, while confirming the production team made significant efforts to secure the legendary actress' involvement. In an interview published around August 17, 2026, following her Disney Legends Honor at the D23 Expo, Hathaway reacted to Andrews' earlier announcement that she would not reprise her role as Queen Clarisse Renaldi.

"First of all, I just want to say if she has a change of heart, we're down," Hathaway told Entertainment Tonight. "But we also want to be respectful... We did push really hard to see if she would want to do it." Hathaway, who is returning to the franchise as Mia Thermopolis, now Queen of Genovia, described Andrews as someone who has profoundly contributed "to the world of entertainment and to our collective joy."

Andrews, 90, had confirmed her non-return in earlier interviews, stating she felt "really past all that now." In remarks to Today.com published on August 10, she said, "I'm not going to be in it... I think the story has to continue in Princess Mia. It's her story. It's not really mine." She elaborated to The Hollywood...