Dolly Parton Has Invited Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to Dollywood After Turning Down Tea With Princess Kate
"I’d give Kate my mashed potatoes."
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We all know Dolly Parton is a national treasure, but the queen of country music has now extended an invite to actual royalty to party in the USA. The music legend said she'd "love" for Kate Middleton and Prince William to bring Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to Dollywood—and we're manifesting this meetup hard.
"Oh, I would absolutely love for them to come to Dollywood, that would be fantastic!" she told Closer (via GB News). "The kids could go on all the rides and we would treat them like royalty."
Parton explained that she'd want the royals to feel at home in Tennessee—and even cook for them. "I’d give Kate my mashed potatoes – I wouldn’t put on any airs for them," the "Jolene" singer said.
"I would just let them enjoy what we enjoy, and I’m sure that’s the way they would want it," she added. "I would love to have those kids at Dollywood."
If the royals made the trip to the Pigeon Forge, Tenn. theme park, it would echo the times Princess Diana brought her boys William and Harry to England's Thorpe Park (remember that iconic log flume photo?) and Disney World, experiences when the princes could have fun and hit the rides like any other kids.
Parton said it "would be fantastic" to have the Wales family at Dollywood.
Perhaps she's hoping to make up for a missed encounter with Princess Kate last summer after having to turn down an invitation to the palace.
While Parton was promoting her Rockstar album in London, the star "got invited to have tea with Kate," as she revealed in an interview with the BBC (via Newsweek).
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"I felt so bad, I couldn't even go because they had all this stuff set up," the "9 to 5" singer said of her busy promotional schedule. At the end of the day, Parton admitted that work had to come first, explaining, "she wasn’t going to promote my rock album, so I had to say no.”
Parton did add that she "thought it was very sweet and nice" for the princess to ask, promising that "one of these days I'm going to get to do that, that would be great."
Tea party at Dollywood, anyone?
Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.
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