Dolly Parton was recently in the U.K. promoting her upcoming rock album, Rockstar, and she revealed that she missed out on an activity most people would only dream of: having tea with a royal. During an interview with BBC Radio 2's Claudia Winkleman, Parton chatted about her time in the U.K., which was packed with press events for her upcoming record, and she mentioned the cordial invitation from the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton.
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"This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate," Parton told the radio host (quote via People).
She then revealed that she was forced to turn down the invitation — an action that would shock any fan of the royal family.
"And I felt so bad... I couldn't even go! They had all this stuff set up," she said, referencing her busy press schedule.
Parton called the invite a "very sweet and nice" act, and the singer hopes to be able to accept in the future. Then in a joke, she offered another reason for why she couldn't attend the outing with Kate.
"She wasn't going to promote my rock album, so I had to say no," Parton said.
Parton shared her respect for the royal family and for the late Queen Elizabeth II in a post following the Queen's death in September 2022. Parton shared a photo of herself meeting the Queen during a visit to London in 1977, and she wrote of her admiration for the late monarch.
"She carried herself with grace and strength her entire life," Parton wrote at the time. "May she Rest In Peace. My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time."
Parton's Rockstar album is due out on Nov. 17. The project features 30 tracks, the majority of which are covers of famous rock songs featuring some of music's biggest stars.
