Dolly Parton invites Princess Kate to Dollywood after missing Palace tea

After missing out on a tea invitation from Princess Kate, country legend Dolly Parton extended a heartfelt invitation of her own to the royal. 

The 78-year-old singer hopes to welcome Kate and her family to Dollywood, her famed amusement park in Tennessee, with the promise of a down-to-earth experience and a taste of her own mashed potatoes.

In 2023, Princess Kate invited Dolly Parton to Buckingham Palace for tea, hoping to meet the iconic singer during her UK tour. However, Parton couldn’t find a way to fit the visit into her busy schedule. 

Now in an interview with Closer, Parton admitted that she regretted missing the chance to meet Kate and expressed her admiration for the Princess of Wales. She’s extended an invitation for Kate to bring her family to Dollywood instead, saying she’d love to host them and let the children “go on all the rides.”

Parton added, “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."

In August 2023, Parton revealed on Claudia Winkleman's BBC radio show that she declined to have tea with the Princess of Wales while in the UK on a press tour for her rock album, Rockstar.

The 78-year-old added that the meeting would not have contributed to her album sales.

She said: "I even got invited to have tea with Kate. I felt so bad.

"I couldn't even because they had all this stuff set up, but I thought that was very sweet and nice of her to invite me to tea.

Parton later told Saga Exceptional: “I was honoured and flattered that she even asked me.

“I only had one full day and I did not have a second to do anything else besides work.”

However, she noted that she wanted to “make sure people know I didn’t turn the invitation down" and that it was simply a matter of her schedule being too packed already.