Country royalty met actual royalty in 1977 when Dolly Parton performed for Queen Elizabeth II.
And despite her success, the “Jolene” superstar’s boots were shaking a bit when she had her audience with the monarch.
“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,” Parton told Business Insider after the queen’s death. “But when I actually got to meet her, she was very sweet.”
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Parton said she could tell the queen didn’t care about the required protocol.
“That’s just something she had to do, and if somebody made a mistake, it was OK.”
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She added, “I was scared to death that I was not going to know how to curtsy, that I wasn’t going to bend right, but she was just very warm, very sweet, and I could tell she was a very giving person. And just meeting the Queen of England, just to meet a queen, it was amazing.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard said Parton’s death this week is “comparable to losing our late Great Queen Elizabeth II… Two strong and resilient female figures.”
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Parton performed for the queen as part of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, in Glascow, Scotland, which celebrated 25 years on the throne.
Chard called Parton meeting the queen her “most magical moment. She dreamed of Princesses, Kings and Queens since she was a little girl and to meet Her Majesty was sheer delight.”
She said both women had mutual respect for each other.
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“Dolly deeply admired the Queen’s poise, strength and work ethic …and the feeling was mutual,” she said. “Two women who led with discipline and heart.”
The whole royal family loved Parton, Chard continued.
“While she and Princess Catherine never got to meet, her music brought comfort and inspiration to them all,” she said, joking, “King Charles, known for his cracking dance moves, is no doubt enjoying a jig in memory of Dolly.”
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Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner said that Parton was a surprise guest.
“It was billed as the Queen of country meeting the Queen of England,” and she sang her song “You Are” from her 1977 album “New Harvest First Gathering.”
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Parton previously told the Glasgow Evening Times that she didn’t know she was performing for the queen until she was on a plane for Scotland and when she found out, “I just jumped up and down telling everyone.”
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The “I Will Always Love You” singer honored the queen after her death, writing on Instagram at the time: “I had the honor of meeting and performing for Queen Elizabeth II on my trip to London in 1977. She carried herself with grace and strength her entire life.”
The royal family also honored Parton this week when the Band of the Coldstream Guards played “9 to 5” during the Changing of the Guard.
