Back in the day, Angelina Jolie loved being in London, and she did a lot of work there. She was made a Dame by QEII for her work with refugees and survivors of sexual violence. She ended up having meetings with (now) Queen Camilla, the Archbishop of Canterbury and she had tea with Prince William and Kate. This post isn’t about Angelina, but I was reminded of that “tea” back in 2015, because it was so random. It sounded like William and Kate cold-called Angelina and Brad Pitt and invited them to Kensington Palace for no other reason than to stargaze. It made me wonder how many other celebrities William and Kate have desperately tried to meet, only to be turned down. It looks like Dolly Parton is one of those celebrities.
Dolly Parton has revealed the hilarious reason why she turned down an invitation for tea with the Princess of Wales. The country singer, 77, explained she received the coveted invitation from Kate Middleton, 41, whilst she was in London for work.
Whilst sharing her love of the capital, the Jolene singer admitted she almost brushed shoulders with the residents of Buckingham Palace, but unfortunately ‘couldn’t go’.
Dolly said during an appearance on BBC Radio 2: ‘This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate but I couldn’t even go. 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.’
Then, in true Dolly Parton style, she cracked a joke as to what made her decline Kate’s invite. She said: ‘But she wasn’t going to promote my rock album so I had to say no.’
She explained her regret at not having explored more of the city while on tour, but concluded she didn’t ever have enough time to play tourist.
“The coveted invitation” – like, we have no idea how frequently or infrequently William and Kate entertain, but as a long-time royal watcher, it definitely feels like they don’t have many friends and they aren’t socializing or throwing parties, nor are they known for being particularly nice or generous hosts. They practically turn the lights off and hide out when the pre-BAFTA dinner is held at Kensington Palace. How many times did they mooch dinner off of Harry and Meghan? I do wonder if Kate and William have invited many celebrities to Kensington Palace and they get turned down a lot. Anyway, Dolly Parton is an American treasure and her work ethic is unparalleled. She would be shocked by the lazy duo.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – DECEMBER 06: Singer Dolly Parton arrives at the Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘Dumplin” held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX 6 on December 6, 2018 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 534823712, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS excluding China – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- LOS ANGELES, CA, USA – FEBRUARY 08: Singer Dolly Parton arrives at the 2019 MusiCares Person Of The Year Honoring Dolly Parton held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 8, 2019 in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency),Image: 535255654, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / Xavier Collin / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend a Realm Governors General and Prime Ministers Lunch, ahead of the coronation of Britain’s King Charles III, at Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 5, 2023.,Image: 774030580, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – JUNE 06: Catherine, Princess of Wales speaks with staff during a visit to the Windsor Family Hub on June 06, 2023 in Windsor, England. The Windsor Family Hub is run by Achieving for Children, a not-for-profit community interest company providing children’s services for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The Princess has dedicated her time to raising awareness of the critical importance of early childhood and in January 2023, with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, launched Shaping Us, a campaign which aims to transform the issue of early childhood, from one of scientific interest to one of the most strategically important topics of our time.,Image: 781761636, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales (L) speaks with members of the charity One Small Thing, while visiting the new facilities of “Hope Street”, a residential community piloting a new approach to supporting women in the Justice System, in Southampton, southern England on June 27, 2023. Designed and developed by the charity One Small Thing, Hope Street is the first of its kind in the UK and is designed to transform women and children’s experience of the justice system. Inspired by One Small Thing’s commitment to systemic change for women and children in the justice system, Hope Street offers a community alternative for women who would otherwise be imprisoned unnecessarily due to a lack of safe accommodation or concerns around their wellbeing. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 785622269, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards at Allegient Stadium – Arrivals Featuring: Dolly Parton Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States When: 07 Mar 2022 Credit: Abby Grant/Cover Images
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- The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Rectory, Birmingham, to meet future leaders and local business owners from Birmingham’s creative industries sector. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Birmingham, United Kingdom When: 20 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales during a visit to The Rectory, Birmingham, to meet future leaders and local business owners from Birmingham’s creative industries sector. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Birmingham, United Kingdom When: 20 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales celebrates Birmingham’s rich Asian culture during a visit to the Indian Streatery, an authentic, family run independent Indian restaurant based in the city centre. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Birmingham, United Kingdom When: 20 Apr 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
So if a celebrity comes to town KP just asks them over for tea with William and Kate? They’re not serious people.
I was thinking about this the other day. William has NO friends. You would think that some people would put up with him for clout or the benefits of having Royal friends but nope. He’s so awful that no one does.
Yes yes he occasionally goes out to nightclubs. But there is never him and Kate at a child’s birthday party mingling with other parents or just chatting like normal human beings. The closest was that thing where Kate and rose were both dressed up and chatting.
But I mean come on. We get pics of celebs going to lunch and we know who is friends with who. It’s absolutely not a stretch to think that if Kate has girlfriends she would be seen getting lunch with them or leaving a yoga class or ANYTHING. that William would be seen hanging out with buddies and we would know who they are.
That’s not true, William has a wide circle of sycophants and hangers on among the aristos. Kate, though, definitely friendless.
Don’t forget W’s friend who’s always slagging off H&M to Tom Sykes.
I’ve never gotten the sense that W+K are all that interested in celebrities. William rarely attends the BAFTAs and they didn’t even show up to the BAFTA reception they hosted. I’m guessing someone from government asked them to invite her. Obviously she declined. She’s the opposite of an elitist.
That’s because the BAFTAs are “work.” as soon as something becomes work, W&K aren’t as interested. Also, at the BAFTAs W&K aren’t the focus and they obviously resent that. Just hanging out with celebrities? W&K are all over that, its part of the reason they’re so jealous of Meghan.
William and Kate are obsessed with celebrities. The entire BAFTA thing in Hollywood was made up as one of their demands, because they wanted a Hollywood party where they could meet celebrities. Sure go on a tour of Canada and make a completely random stop in Hollywood for a party? Ditto their trip to NYC where they again demanded a celebrity party and the Beyonce/JayZ meet.
Judging from their difficulty in getting celebrities to show up to the Earthsh!t fundraiser in Boston, my guess is many American celebrities don’t bother wasting their time on William and Kate.
You go, Dolly!
LOL, Surely Dolly is kidding!! Coveted by who exactly?
I don’t think Dolly said coveted. I think it was an insert by the DiM
Perhaps inserted but Dolly is unfailingly kind and polite and loves everyone.
Every time i think i can’t love her more i learn something (new or old) and i’m like- she is literally too good for this world.
Though my favorite thing about her is silly, when a man from the audience screams “i love you” to her she replies: “i love you too, but i told you to wait in the car”.
Funny, kind. The kind of Christian who actually follows the teachings of Jesus. No judgment, no bigotry. She loves everyone.
Oh, I love this. American treasure said no thanks, I don’t want to meet Kate, doesn’t bother with her title. Lol.
Dolly has done some wonderful things with her money. Imagination Library, Covid vaccine development are two that come to mind. I’m sure Dolly has no use for grifters but she is much to classy to say so.
She’s a fcuking queen who, like Harry and Meghan, shows that Service is Universal by her charitable actions and social justice work.
In addition to what you mentioned, the two that come to my mind are that she invested her royalties from Whitney Houston’s cover of I Will Always Love You back into the black community in Nashville. And also that she pays for her Dollywood employees (no vesting time, both full and part time) to continue their education.
But that’s not what she said. She said she would love to have tea with Kate and was flattered by the invitation but simply didn’t have enough time in her schedule to chat or visit any tourist destinations.
I think if Dolly had wanted to meet with Kate, her team would have made it happen, even if it was a brief 5 minute meet and greet.
Right, none of this sounded like a condemnation to me…I would’ve enjoyed that, but alas, reading comprehension…
@Becks1
Just because Dolly didn’t want to inconvenience herself (and others with a last minute trip to KP) and possibly come off as rude by doing a 5 minute meet and greet doesn’t mean she has negative feelings toward Kate (or William). She basically said she would love to meet her when she has more time.
And knowing the way those yahoos at KP operate they probably reached out to Dolly at 10 a.m. to have tea the same day at 3 p.m. Dolly seems like the kind of pro who does voice rest on the day of shows so she can give it her all when playing live.
Meh, it doesn’t matter the reasons. She turned them down because they “weren’t going to promote my rock album”. I don’t care about the rest of them reasons y’all trying to come up with; the queen of rock said herself why she said NO. Dolly’s simply too good for their grifting arses, those hungers on were trying to clout chase and she gave them a big fat NO; meaning she wanted nothing to do with KKKate and her hateful racist grifting arse. Next……
@Jess nah, if she had wanted to, it would have happened. This comment is a very “bless her heart” sort of comment like others have said below.
Or, what Taytanish said, LOL.
Dolly’s sister likes Meghan and Harry also. Don’t know if that was a factor obviously!
@Lizzie, that was my exact reaction. It must have come as a bit of a surprise to “Kate of Wales (or whatever)” that anyone would even think of turning down an invitation from her! Lmao. Dolly continues to be the best.
Maybe they’re sizing her up for one of those “dame” things. They’ve been giving that to a lot of Americans lately, and to more people of color than they’ve done before. I think it’s to make two messages: 1) Pay attention to us please, Americans; and 2) We’re very much not non-racist — despite what your eyes tell you.
Dolly, you’re a national treasure and I love you, but please let this just be a polite excuse and you didn’t really want to have tea with that vile vapid bully.
I know Dolly has famously said it’s hard working to look as dumb as people thought she was. But Keen really just is that dumb and works hard at nothing except staying thin. She’s not worth your time, Dolly!
Dolly is about that business. Tea was not gonna help her cause she had WORK to do. Something Kate knows nothing about.
That’s really it. Dolly had work to do. Her work ethic would put the entire RF to shame.
I have always admired Dolly for her awareness of social justice and her sense of right vs wrong. She certainly has not disappointed with this move. Way to go, Dolly! Kudos!
I am a big fan of her music too. Has been since the 80’s.
I love Dolly – no pretensions, hardworking but can you imagine if Dolly had gone to KP? What would they possibly talk about? And would Kate start co-playing Dolly like she does every other confident and successful woman she encounters? That would be something to see.
Dolly could give Kate much needed advice on wig maintenance and wearing.
LOL! And how to rock a sequinned dress as well.
Lol, Giddy
Hahaha I love the desperation here – a “coveted” invitation, the thought of W&K just inviting celebs over for tea when they’re in town – like, they’re not saying “hey, we have this charity event at a hospital you might want to attend,” they’re literally just asking random celebs over for tea.
And I also think her joking response is very true – she was in town for work, and socializing with those two wasn’t work, and Dolly wasn’t there for that. Like i said above, I think if Dolly had wanted to go, she would have found a way to go, even for 5 minutes.
The invitation was probably last minute, as the clowns at KP would never think that someone like Dolly would be booked and busy and refuse to drop everything to have tea with Mumbles. But it’s interesting that the Fail is writing about Kate being snubbed, as they usually save all that for Meghan.
Agree. Dutch a little upthread suggested similar. Feels like something Carol Debtor-Middleton would suggest to her feckless daughter, gleefully looking forward to being part of the ‘audience’. And let’s just say neither mother nor daughter has Dolly’s innate breeding or kindness.
Dolly did well to avoid.
I suspect she’s team Sussex! I suspect a lot of people are but we just don’t hear about them.
Dolly’s sister Stella has very staunchly defended Meghan, and I would love to listen in to the Parton family chit chat.
I would absolutely love it if Dolly and Meghan met up for tea!!! Maybe do some charity work together.
I follow here sister Stella Parton and she is unapologetically team Sussex and is not very kind to the RF and their abusive ways. She has stated that her sister Dolly is much more politically correct/neutral than she is. But I expect Dolly sees the abuse and wants no part of that.
Exactly. Dolly is more diplomatic but she’s aware of the mess of that family and Kate’s actions toward her own sister in law. Dolly is an icon and doesn’t need to bother with royalty and she’s a supporter of family, which the Windsors definitely don’t understand.
The refusal of the invite was made public for a reason.
Her sister, Stella Parton is certainly a M&H fan. She has made that clear in her tweets.
Kate seems like the type of mean girl who would make fun of Dolly behind her back after the visit.
Yes! So much this.
YES. That is exactly the kind of b!tchy behavior we’ve come to expect from Kate (and her husband’s stepmother as well).
Spot on @Mslove. Dolly strikes me as a hugger, something Khate the ice queen isn’t. I think I can safely say that any of us here on CB would be wetting our pants with happiness and excitement to meet Queen Dolly. I wonder if Khate would have demanded a curtsey if this meeting had happened? It should be Khate curtseying to Dolly.
They should have invited her well in advance of her trip. She’s booked solid
Yes! You don’t just invite Dolly last-minute. She is involved in so many (amazing) things, she doesn’t have time to just chit-chat about wigs with Mumbles. And Dolly has too much class to say how she really feels about someone, but I have a feeling she secretly said “bless her heart” when she got the tea invite from KP.
I definitely think that Dolly just didn’t want to go. If she wanted to, she would have made it happen. My guess is she knows exactly who W&K are, saw what they did to Meghan, and does not want to be associated with them in any way. 🩷 Dolly!
Just makes me love Dolly all the more!
America’s favorite living secular saint– Dolly! Of course if Mr Rogers was still with us, they would have to share that particular title.
I’m having fun in my head, imagining Kate getting all gussied up in her newest Sister Wives/LHOTP dress, fluffing the wiglets, polishing Big Blue, then her face at hearing the No from Dolly. 😆🤣🤣
Love you Dolly🥰😍
I still can’t get over how blatantly k copied meg’s trench dress
What must go on in her brain?
Very little I am afraid to say.
Some of y’all clearly don’t speak southern. When my grandma says “Bless their heart!”, she’s really saying “Look at that fool!” When she says “I’m afraid I don’t know her very well,” she means “I can’t stand that bitch”. If I had to make an educated guess, “I didn’t have time to visit with you all” means “I rather eat broken glass than eat at your rat palace”
You don’t inform the world of how you rejected someone’s invite if you actually esteem them. I could be wrong. Her sister is very vocally Team Sussex though, so who knows.
@nixie, brilliant 😂
Dolly is too polite to openly talk shit about anyone. But, you’re right, that’s Southern for I don’t want nothing to do with them.
That’s what I assumed too. You don’t mention you refused someone’s invitation if you had any interest in ever attending.
Thanks for the translation @Nixie — makes total sense.
Exactly— she was being diplomatic by saying she’d “love to” go sometime or whatever. Because she has manners. Clearly if she really wanted to meet Kate, she would have done it this week when she was invited. I love that she told this story publicly!
Yep, William said to keen “for gods sake Kate call dolly and ask her for some wiglet tips and how to use botox and fillers without your face looking like a melting icecap all the bloody time”
Katy to William, “well does this mean I can sing Jolene to her sat at the piano”? The aide hearing this called dolly and said “ms Parton HRH the prince William and HRH the princess Catherine would like you to come to tea. HRH princess Catherine would like permission to sit at the piano to sing jolene to you, just to make you welcome”.
To which the lovely Dolly replied “hell, I thought the other woman was called Rose! Do tell them thanks, but marriage guidance ain’t my thing, maybe talk to a shrink, by now honey” 😂😂😂😂😂
Why is Kate’s surgical things so bad. She has money. She has resources. It looks like her and her mom go to the same place. I know Kate has a weight issue but a surgeon should be able to work around that. Could Kate be injecting herself for privacy reasons?
I came in here expecting to be sad for Kate. I make fun of her but nobody wants to hang with her. Lol. Then to have a snub out”ed publicly has to sting. But dolly walked that usa country “hill folk ” line. She got zingers in while being nice to Kate. Now the british sound polite but they “zing you” and let it drop.
Dolly doesn’t have time for mean girl Kate. Like Becks1 said, if Dolly had wanted to make time, she would have.
I would guess that Kate was thinking she might be able to get Dolly to say nice things about Kate’s early years project, but Dolly’s Imagination Library has done actual practical intervention to help parents and kids whereas Kate’s has done…not so much.
Say it with me…
Dolly should be a surprise performer at Invictus Games!
I adore every bit of this. Dolly is shrewd in the best possible way. She plays everything straight down the middle with a smile and a wink, but when push comes to shove, she supports BLM and donated $1 million dollars to covid vaccine research. All this to say that I’m positive she is either team sussex or smart enough to know that going to tea with Kate would have been seen in a bad light and by letting everyone know she declined it (there’s your WINK), she’s getting the press for it and the kudos from team sussex. God I want to be just like Dolly but I’m much more foot in mouth