For millions of moviegoers, Julie Andrews will forever be Queen Clarisse Renaldi—the elegant, commanding grandmother who taught an overwhelmed teenager how to become royalty. But as The Princess Diariesprepares for another chapter, Andrews has decided that her own journey in Genovia has reached its conclusion.

The legendary actress, now 90, revealed that she declined an invitation to appear in The Princess Diaries 3, the highly anticipated continuation of the Disney franchise led by Anne Hathaway.

Andrews said the filmmakers approached her about returning as Queen Clarisse, but she ultimately felt it was time for the story to move forward without her.

“I think I probably passed… I think I’m retired, really, would be about the best description for that,” Andrews told InStyle.

Turning down the project was not an easy decision, particularly because of the affection she still holds for the films and the character she helped make memorable.

“It was very, very hard to say ‘no,’” she admitted, explaining that she believes the new movie can stand on its own. “I thought I had a wonderful ride, and this one I felt would flourish very well and wouldn’t need Granny going in there at my age.”

Her absence will mark a major change for the franchise. Andrews and Hathaway were at the heart of the original 2001 movie, with their characters’ relationship providing much of its humor and emotional warmth. They reunited for the 2004 sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

Talk of a third movie has circulated for years. Andrews had previously expressed doubts about returning, pointing to the length of time that had passed since the sequel. Hathaway, meanwhile, had once enthusiastically floated the possibility of accommodating Andrews wherever she was—even suggesting that production could bring a green screen to her to make an appearance possible.

The new film will instead put the spotlight firmly on Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis, who has come a long way from the awkward San Francisco teenager who unexpectedly discovered she was heir to the throne of Genovia. In the upcoming installment, Mia is now the kingdom’s queen.

Adele Lim, whose credits include Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon, is attached to direct. The project has gone through creative changes, with Hathaway revealing that work on the screenplay had taken a new direction.

“I think we are moving in the right direction,” Hathaway said of the project, adding that the team feels confident about its latest approach to the story.

Production details are still being finalized, and no official release date has been announced.

While Andrews may be stepping away from on-camera acting, she has not completely left entertainment behind. In recent years, she has lent her unmistakable voice to several projects, most notably as Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton. Voice work, she has said, allows her to remain creatively active while recording from home.

“I do it mostly to keep my brain alive,” she said.

The original The Princess Diaries, adapted from Meg Cabot’s novel and directed by the late Garry Marshall, became a major commercial success following its 2001 release. Its popularity led to the 2004 sequel and helped cement Mia and Queen Clarisse among Disney’s most recognizable royal characters.

More than two decades later, Genovia is preparing to welcome audiences once again—but this time without the woman who first showed Mia how to wear the crown.

For Andrews, however, the decision is less a rejection of the beloved franchise than a graceful passing of the royal torch. Queen Clarisse may not walk through the palace doors in The Princess Diaries 3, but her influence on Mia—and on generations of fans who grew up with their story—will remain part of Genovia forever.