Julie Andrews, who had been semi-retired from acting at the time, was cast as Clarisse Renaldi, Mia's grandmother and Queen of Genovia. Marshall personally invited Andrews to discuss the film with him; Andrews identified the director as "the hook" that convinced her to accept the role, having been a long-time fan of his work. She accepted the role based solely on her conversations with Marshall without reading Wendkos' script. Although Sophia Loren is rumored to have been offered the role, Marshall insists that Andrews is the first and only actress he considered, having been a fan of hers since Broadway's "My Fair Lady" (1956). Known for portraying princesses and nobility throughout her career, Andrews incorporated knowledge she had acquired about European royalty and mannerisms of Britain's royal family into her performance as Mia's regal mentor; Queen Elizabeth II herself had knighted Andrews one year prior, making her a Dame of the British Empire. Marshall allowed Andrews significant freedom to determine Clarisse's portrayal. Cabot was initially hesitant about Andrews' casting, fearing that the actress was too kind to play such a stern character, but ultimately relented upon seeing her interpretation, explaining that Andrews possessed "just the right amount of regalness mixed with grandmotherly warmth". Andrews also used the opportunity to mentor Hathaway, although she maintains that the younger actress required very little training: "She has great instincts, good talent ... She has this ability to do humor, comedy, very well. So other than actually honing her craft and learning from the doing, she has it all.” "The Princess Diaries" was Andrews' first Disney film since "Mary Poppins" (1964), the role for which she had won an Academy Award for Best Actress 37 years prior, and her first feature film in 15 years.