The Princess Diariesis having a bit of a moment since it was announced that a third installment might be on the way. Unfortunately for fans, Julie Andrews, who played Queen Clarisse Renaldi, stated she probably won’t return to the franchise.
Disney’sThe Princess Diariescame out in 2001 and centered on a teenager named Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a seemingly normal girl who discovers that she’s the Crown Princess of Genovia, a small nation in Europe. Her grandmother, Queen Clarisse, hopes to shape her into the ideal Princess, but the clumsy and awkward Mia finds this difficult. Their relationship forms the backbone of the first film and informs much of the second film, so when it was announced that anewPrincess Diariesmovie was in the workswith hope for Hathaway’s return, fans had hoped that Andrews would also be returning.
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In a recent interview withAccess Hollywood, Andrews gracefully stated that it was unlikely she would be returning for a new installment in thePrincess Diariesfranchise. “I think we know that it’s probably not going to be possible," she said.“It was talked about very shortly after two came out, but it’s now how many years since then? And I am that much older and Annie the princess, or queen, is so much older. And I am not sure where it would float or run. In terms of us doing it, I doubt that now.”
It’s been 18 years sinceThe Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagementcame out. At the end ofThe Princess Diaries 2, Mia isno longer a Disney Princess- she ascends to the throne of Genovia to rule in her own right. Andrews was 69 years old when that film was released and is currently 87. The secondPrincess Diariesfilm is actually Andrews' last live-action appearance in a film. Since then, she has only lent her voice to feature-length films.
Perhaps Andrews can havea surprise cameo somewherein thePrincess Diaries 3. At 87, it’s understandable that she wouldn’t want to work on a feature-length film, which can be physically draining. She could appear in a video call with her granddaughter, however. At the end of the last film, she married her love interest, Joe (Hector Elizondo), and maybe the two are off on a tropical vacation somewhere.
Even if Andrews doesn’t cameo in the film, her presence can still be felt. Should the third installment of thePrincess Diariesfranchise focus on Mia’s possible child or children, the relationship between the two can harken back to earlier installments. Any of Mia’s heirs would be raised in a very different environment than Mia’s used to, so it could be fun for the dynamic to be swapped, with Mia being a fun-loving Queen trying to get her daughter to loosen up.
