Anne Hathaway Says Julie Andrews Is Still Welcome in ‘Princess Diaries 3’ If She Changes Her Mind

Disney may not be bringing Julie Andrews back for Princess Diaries 3, but Anne Hathaway says the door is still open if the beloved actress changes her mind.

Hathaway, who will return as Mia Thermopolis, spoke about Andrews’ possible return at D23 and said the production team made a strong effort to convince her to reprise her role as Queen Clarisse.

“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.”

Andrews played Queen Clarisse Renaldi, Mia’s grandmother, in the first two Princess Diaries films. Her return has been a major question for fans as the third movie moves forward.

Hathaway made it clear that the team understands Andrews’ decision. “If anybody has contributed to the world of entertainment and to our collective joy, it’s her,” she said. “Whatever she wants, we completely understand. We did push really hard to see if she would want to do it.”

Andrews, 90, previously confirmed that she would not return for the third film. In an interview with Today, she said she felt she had reached the right point to step away from the role.

“I think I probably passed… I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that,” Andrews said. She explained that while it was difficult to turn down the opportunity, she believed the new film could work well without her character.

Despite Andrews’ absence, Hathaway hopes the new movie will create the same sense of joy that made the original films special.

“I just want it to be fun,” Hathaway said. She pointed to the fans who were children when the first Princess Diaries was released and are now adults, many of them raising children of their own.

“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,” she said.

For now, fans should not expect to see Queen Clarisse in Princess Diaries 3. But Hathaway’s comments leave one thing clear: if Andrews ever decides she wants to return to Genovia, the invitation remains open.