Dolly Parton Turns Down Big Invite From Kate Middleton

Parton gave a surprising reason for turning down the Princess of Wales.

By Ashley Turner

Dolly Parton shared her light-hearted reason for declining Kate Middleton's tea invitation recently. While in London, the 77-year-old singing icon received an invitation from Kate, 41, Princess of Wales. However, it was a surprise to many that she somehow had to pass up the opportunity to meet with the royal. During an interview with BBC Radio 2, Parton exclaimed: "This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate but I couldn't even go." In an effort to show her sincere appreciation for the gesture, she remarked: "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 joked: "But she wasn't going to promote my rock album so I had to say no."

In the course of the interview, Parton confessed to host Claudia Winkleman how much she wished she had more time to explore London. "I love the people, the feel of London," she said, recalling her past trips to the city with her band. Parton is still going strong even after nearly six decades of being a key player in the country music industry, and she doesn't appear to be considering retirement anytime soon. When Ken Bruce interviewed Parton on Greatest Hits Radio, she declared: "I would never retire. I would hopefully drop dead in the middle of a song on stage someday – and hopefully one I've written – but that's how I hope to go." She continued in her characteristic lively manner: "I don't have much of a choice in that but in the meantime, I'm going to make hay while the sun shines."

Known for the timeless anthems such as I Will Always Love You, the legendary singer-songwriter boasts a total of over 3,000 songs in her repertoire. Parton admits that although she's dedicated to the stage, she is also taking things easy when it comes to touring right now. "I'm not touring anymore but I will continue to do special shows here and there," she explained, underlining the challenges of frequent touring at this point in her life, which had begun to take its toll on her. On top of all these revelations, Parton also announced her 49th studio album, Rockstar, due to release in November. A variety of 30 songs will be featured in the upcoming collection, encompassing Parton's original compositions mixed with classic rock covers and collaborations with musicians such as Elton John, Sting, and Pink.

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