Katie Price is finally stepping into The Princess Diaries — and her surprise appearance alongside daughter Princess Andre could become one of the biggest talking points of the new series.
After previously claiming she had been “banned” from appearing on her daughter’s ITV2 reality show, the former glamour model has now been pictured filming with Princess for the first time.
New images teasing the upcoming third series show the mother and daughter enjoying an outdoor adventure together, marking a noticeable change from previous seasons in which Katie was largely absent.
And with Princess preparing to share a new chapter of her increasingly independent life, viewers may finally get a closer look at a mother-daughter relationship that has long fascinated fans.
Princess Andre is back with a third series of The Princess Diaries (Credit: ITV)
Katie Price finally joins Princess on screen
The first-look pictures from series three show Katie and Princess spending quality time together during a camping trip.
Far removed from red carpets, glamorous events and social media shoots, the pair are seen embracing the outdoors and taking part in activities including kayaking.
For fans who have followed Princess’ reality series from the beginning, Katie’s appearance is particularly significant.
Katie Price is pictured alongside Princess in a sneak peek of the new series (Credit: ITV)
The 48-year-old television personality had previously suggested that she was not permitted to feature in the programme, making her arrival in the new series all the more unexpected.
Katie appeared to confirm the change herself after Princess, 19, shared a photograph connected to the launch of the upcoming season.
Her mother responded with a characteristically playful comment:
“Yes and I’m actually allowed in this show!”
The remark immediately caught attention, especially given Katie’s previous comments about being absent from the programme.
Whatever may have happened behind the scenes, one thing is now clear: viewers will finally see Katie sharing the screen with her daughter when The Princess Diaries returns.
A new family dynamic for series three
Katie’s increased presence comes as Princess’ father, Peter Andre, and his wife Emily are expected to take a smaller role in the programme.
It had previously been reported that Peter and Emily would step back from filming, allowing the series to place greater emphasis on Princess herself and the direction her own life and career are taking.
However, Peter will not disappear entirely.
The singer has confirmed that he will still make occasional appearances, while footage involving his children will also feature in the new episodes.
Princess and her older brother Junior, 21, were filmed attending Mamma Mia! The Party!, in which Peter has been performing in London.
“I pop in a little bit,” Peter explained. “It’s her show but I pop in.”
He also revealed that cameras captured Princess and Junior attending the production, meaning viewers can expect to see some of those family moments when the new season airs.
Scenes filmed at home with Princess, Junior and Peter are also expected to appear.
The result could give series three a slightly different family dynamic — with Katie appearing more prominently while Peter takes more of a supporting role.
Princess is ready to take control of her own story
Although the involvement of her famous parents will inevitably attract attention, The Princess Diaries remains firmly centred on Princess.
The teenager has steadily been building a public identity of her own, developing her career as an influencer while exploring opportunities in beauty and fashion.
When viewers last saw her at the end of series two, her professional profile was continuing to grow.
She had also reached an important personal milestone by passing her driving test — another step towards the independence that is expected to become a major theme of the new season.
According to ITV, series three will follow Princess as she continues “asserting her independence and forging ahead with her career goals”.
That means viewers can expect more than just family moments.
Princess has also teased an exciting development involving her own beauty brand.
Speaking about what audiences can expect from the new episodes, she revealed that viewers will finally get a closer look at the products she has been working on.
“You’re also going to see my beauty brand,” she said. “You’re going to actually see what they look like.”
For Princess, whose life has been documented publicly since childhood because of her famous parents, the series offers an opportunity to show audiences who she is becoming on her own terms.
Junior Andre will also have his moment
Princess will not be navigating everything alone.
Her brother Junior remains an important part of the series, with cameras continuing to follow their close sibling relationship.
Junior has been pursuing his own ambitions in music, and the new episodes are expected to offer further glimpses into his developing career.
Princess also teased that she and her brother have filmed something special together.
“We also did something together… that people would like to see,” she revealed.
She stopped short of revealing exactly what the siblings had been working on, leaving fans with another reason to tune in.
Their relationship has become one of the warmer elements of the programme, particularly as both siblings attempt to establish careers beyond the enormous public profiles of their parents.
Katie’s appearance could be the moment everyone talks about
Still, there is little doubt that Katie joining the show will generate considerable curiosity.
Her relationship with Princess has frequently attracted public interest, and viewers have long been familiar with the complicated reality of growing up in one of Britain’s most closely followed celebrity families.
Seeing mother and daughter together in a relaxed setting could offer a very different side to their relationship.
The camping scenes appear designed to capture something more personal: two family members spending time together away from the usual glamour surrounding their public lives.
Whether Katie appears extensively throughout the season or only in selected scenes remains to be seen.
But after her previous claims about being “banned” from the programme, even one substantial appearance is likely to get fans talking.
Her playful declaration that she is “actually allowed” to appear only adds another layer of intrigue.
When does The Princess Diaries series three begin?
Fans will not have long to wait.
The third series of The Princess Diaries is set to premiere on ITV2 at 9pm on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
The season will consist of four hour-long episodes, with the remaining instalments airing across the following three nights at the same time.
For viewers who prefer to watch everything immediately, all four episodes are also expected to become available to stream on ITVX from Tuesday.
Between Princess’ growing independence, her beauty ambitions, Junior’s music career, Peter’s smaller appearances and Katie finally stepping in front of the cameras, series three appears ready to open a fascinating new chapter for the Andre family.
And after all the speculation surrounding Katie’s absence, fans may finally get the mother-and-daughter moments they have been waiting to see.
As Katie herself put it: “I’m actually allowed in this show!”
That one comment may have just made the new series considerably more interesting.
