Dolly Parton Opens Up About ‘Royal Meeting’ With Queen Elizabeth

The country music legend Dolly Parton has met many famous people throughout her decades-long career, but few have made more of an impression on her than Queen Elizabeth did.

Parton’s ‘Royal Meeting’ With The Queen

WKML reported that while in London performing her iconic “Dolly In London” concert in the 1970s, Parton was granted a “royal meeting” with the Queen, and it’s an experience that she has never forgotten to this day. 

“That was a great moment I thought, it’s like I’m not a star worshiper, but as a kid, I was always intrigued by the Kings and Queens, and I always loved the magazines and the books and their costumes and all,” recalled Parton, 76. 

“Of course, they weren’t like the old Kings and Queen of the old stories, but it still had that romantic feeling to me to think, ‘That’s the Queen of England,'” she added.

Related: Dolly Parton’s Sister Takes Meghan Markle’s Side Over ‘Toxic’ Royal Family

Parton’s Message To The Queen

This comes one month after Parton sent the 96-year-old Queen a message in honor of her Platinum Jubilee, which was meant to celebrate her record-breaking seventy years on the British throne.

“I want to congratulate you on your Platinum Jubilee and your 70th year as monarch,” Parton said in the message, according to Hello Magazine. “I just wanted to say thank you for being wonderful, you are more than pearls and you are more than platinum.”

“You have been a shining diamond in this world for so long and everybody loves you,” the “Jolene” singer continued. “And I will always love you too.”

Check out Parton’s full message to the Queen below.

Parton Joked About Marrying Prince Harry

Parton has publicly talked about other royals in the past as well. After expressing her disappointment that she was not invited to the 2011 royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Parton shockingly said that she would love to marry Prince Harry, who was single at the time!

“I didn’t get an invite which is disappointing,” Parton said of William and Kate’s wedding at the time, according to Cheat Sheet. 

“I’ll just marry Harry then I’ll be guaranteed to go to the next one for sure. He’s a little cutie, isn’t he?” Parton continued. “Everybody loves a princess wedding — it’s a fairytale. Romance is always wonderful. Everyone wants romance in their lives and if they can’t have it in their own they like watching it in someone else’s.”

Related: Dolly Parton Praises James Woods – ‘One Of The Greatest Actors Of All Time’

Parton Didn’t Marry Harry

Of course, Parton did not end up marrying Harry, as she has been married to her own husband Carl Dean since 1966. Harry would go on to marry Meghan Markle in 2018, and unfortunately for Parton, she was not invited to that royal wedding either.

Parton is considered by the masses to be the Queen of country music, so it’s fun to see her interact with the Queen of England and her family. Her comments on Harry show off Parton’s trademark sense of humor, and her comments on the Queen show how respectful she is to someone of the monarch’s stature.

Parton may be an icon on this side of the pond, but she’s not afraid to put her own ego aside to honor the Queen, and that just makes us love her even more!