In 1984, Dotrice retired from show business to focus on motherhood—she has three children from two marriages—though she has provided commentary for various Disney projects and has resumed making public appearances, including a cameo in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018.

Her father, Roy was a Wireless Operator serving with 106 Squadron of the Royal Air Force and along with his other six crew was shot down and taken prisoner of war on the night of 2/3 May 1942.

[3] At age 8, Dotrice was hired in 1963 to appear in The Three Lives of Thomasina as a girl whose relationship with her father is mended by the magical reappearance of her cat.

While Dotrice was in California, her father stayed in England—where he was portraying King Lear—and Walt Disney personally took care of her family, often hosting them in his Palm Springs home.

Instead, they hire a nanny (Julie Andrews) who takes Jane and Michael on magical adventures designed to teach them—and their parents—about the importance of family.

Poppins was Disney's biggest commercial success at the time[4] and won five Academy Awards, making its stars world-famous.

Dotrice and Garber were praised for their natural screen presence; critic Bosley Crowther wrote, "the kids ... are just as they should be,"[5] while author Brian Sibley said, "these charming, delightful young people provided a wonderful centre for the film.

Starring Walter Brennan in a dual role, The Gnome-Mobile failed to perform on a par with Poppins at the box office,[7] and Dotrice did not make another film appearance as a child.

In an interview for the '40th Anniversary Edition' DVD release of Mary Poppins, Dotrice recalled how she learned of Garber's 1977 death:"I remember his mum, Margot, calling [...] to let us know that Matthew had died.

[12] The following year, Dotrice played housemaid Lily Hawkins in six episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs during its fifth and final season.

The series, a narrative of the upper class Bellamy family and their servants in Edwardian and later England, was one of the most popular programmes produced by London Weekend Television for ITV.

[15] In 1981, Dotrice took the role of Desdemona in the Warner Theatre production of Othello opposite James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer.

Reviewers were less than kind; calling her "the only serious let-down" in the cast, David Richards of The Washington Post wrote, "Dotrice is not Desdemona.

In 1994, Dotrice married then-Universal Studios executive Edwin "Ned" Nalle and later gave birth to two children, Isabella and Griffin.

"[19] Dotrice was coaxed back into the spotlight twice in 2004: she was named a Disney Legend at a ceremony in Burbank (at which Matthew Garber was honoured posthumously),[20] and she was interviewed and provided audio commentary for the 40th Anniversary Edition Mary Poppins DVD release.

Despite having retired from acting, Dotrice's official website announced in 2014 that she will be making public appearances "for the first time in 50 years".

She makes a cameo appearance in Mary Poppins Returns as an elegant lady who passes by the main characters on Cherry Tree Lane and asks for directions to #19.

"[24] Dotrice recalled having a difficult time staying in character whenever Dick Van Dyke would do one of his "goofy dances".