Dolly Parton Invites Royal Children to Dollywood

Country music legend Dolly Parton has extended an invitation to the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children to visit her Tennessee amusement park. The 78-year-old entertainer was enthusiastic about hosting Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, at Dollywood, her namesake attraction in Pigeon Forge.

“Oh, I would absolutely love for them to come to Dollywood, that would be fantastic!” Parton told Closer magazine. “The kids could go on all the rides and we would treat them like royalty!” The singer desired an informal atmosphere, adding, “I’d give Kate my mashed potatoes — I wouldn’t put on any airs for them. I would just let them enjoy what we enjoy, and I’m sure that’s the way they would want it. I would love to have those kids at Dollywood.”

The invitation follows a missed meet-up between Parton and Princess Kate in August 2023. During her UK tour promoting her rock album Rockstar, Parton declined an invitation to tea with the Princess of Wales due to scheduling conflicts. “This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate. I felt so bad,” Parton revealed on BBC Radio 2. “I couldn’t even go! They had all this stuff set up.” She joked, “But she wasn’t going to promote my rock album, so I had to say no. I hope she hears it though.”

Parton later clarified her decision in Saga Exceptional magazine: “I only had one full day, and I did not have a second to do anything else besides work.” She emphasized that she “wanted to make sure people know I didn’t turn the invitation down” and that scheduling was the sole issue.

The potential collaboration holds particular significance given both women’s dedication to children’s causes. Princess Kate focuses on early years development in the UK, while Parton’s Imagination Library has distributed 200 million books to children worldwide. “So maybe that’s what we can talk about when we do have tea,” Parton suggested. “I think she’s adorable, and I hope someday to be able to sit down and have a good conversation with her.”

The singer has previous experience with British royalty, having met Queen Elizabeth during the monarch’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. Recalling the encounter to Insider, Parton said she was “scared to death” about proper curtsy protocol but found the late Queen to be “very warm, very sweet” and “very giving.” She added, “Even though you have to do the protocol, you have to bow and all that, I could tell that she didn’t care about that. That’s just something she had to do. And if somebody made a mistake, it was okay.” She concluded, “Just meeting the Queen of England, just to meet a queen, it was amazing.”

Parton previously told Business Insider that she had always been “fascinated” by the royals. “I remember as a child being fascinated with the kings and queens and all their flamboyant clothes, people living in another world with riches and crowns and jewelry and all that,” she shared.

A visit to Dollywood would echo similar experiences of past royal generations, reminiscent of Princess Diana taking Princes William and Harry to England’s Thorpe Park and Disney World for normal childhood experiences. The invitation seems particularly timely as Prince William recently took his three children to Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour, suggesting the family’s appreciation for American music stars.