Dolly Parton has shared the amusing reason she declined a tea invitation from Princess Kate Middleton.
At 77, the country music icon recently wrapped up a work trip in London.
During her trip abroad, the Princess of Wales offered Dolly the opportunity to sit with her for tea.
Although fond of the British capital, Dolly narrowly missed mingling with Buckingham Palace’s inhabitants.
Most people would love the chance to meet up with Kate, but Dolly passed on the invite for a hilarious reason.
According to Daily Mail, Dolly spoke warmly about her time touring London, and praised the Princess of Wales for her hospitality despite not taking her up on the offer.
“This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate but I couldn’t even go,” she stated.
“I thought it was very sweet and nice of her to invite me and one of these days I’m going to get to do that – that would be great.”
She lightened the mood in quintessential Dolly fashion with a quip about her reason for turning down the royal invite.
She joked: “But she wasn’t going to promote my rock album so I had to say no.”
Dolly then expressed her disappointment over missing out on experiencing more of London during her tours.
The singer cited time constraints as the true reason that kept her from playing the tourist role.
The country icon went on to voice her fondness for the British metropolis.
“I love the people, the feel of London. I don’t unfortunately [get time to sightsee]. I have in the past, me and my band, in a tour bus when we have it planned,” she explained.
Dolly’s connection with the Royal family can be traced back to the late ’70s. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Dolly posted a snapshot from a 1977 encounter during a London meet-and-greet.
According to Hello Magazine, the picture was captured after Dolly had the privilege of putting on a performance for the Queen.
“I had the honor of meeting and performing for Queen Elizabeth II on my trip to London in 1977,” Dolly shared. “She carried herself with grace and strength her entire life. May she Rest In Peace. My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time. Love, Dolly.”
In the photograph, Queen Elizabeth seemed a bit surprised and did not appear to lock eyes with Dolly. The unexpected shot quickly caught the attention of fans, leading many to speculate that the Queen was a bit shocked by Dolly’s presence.
