Dolly Parton Spills the Tea on Why She Turned Down Royal Invite From Kate Middleton

Sometimes working 9 to 5 means turning down even the most special of invitations. 

Dolly Parton revealed that her busy schedule prevented her from sharing a cup of tea from none other than Kate Middleton during a recent trip across the pond.

"This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate," the 77-year-old shared on Claudia Winkleman's BBC Radio show August 26. "And I felt so bad, I couldn't even—cause they had all the stuff set up. But I thought that was very sweet and nice of her to invite me to tea, and one of these days I'm gonna be able to get to do that."

And the "Jolene" singer couldn't help but quip that there was another reason for having to send her apologies.

"It would've been great," Dolly reflected, "But she wasn't going to promote my rock album, so I had to say no."

With a laugh, she quickly added, "I hope she hears it, though!"

While the music legend could make it to tea with the Princess of Wales, she was able to make a surprise appearance on ABC's Claim to Fame earlier this year.

Dolly made a brief cameo on the reality series—in which contestants try to guess their fellow cast mates' celebrity relations—after her niece Jada Star Roberts was eliminated from the show's second season. 

"Hey, Jada. I am so proud of you," the singer said in a clip shared during the July 10 episode. "It's been a joy watching you grow up. You know how much I've loved you and how close we've always been, being your aunt and all. So proud of you, girl."

And Jada had nothing but love for her aunt. 

"This is why I wanted to be here in the first place," she shared after her elimination, "because I wanted a chance to tell the whole world that she is exactly what you hope she is."

Jada even revealed that Dolly is the one who gave her her name, later adding, "She is the absolute best aunt you could ever dream of—for all of my cousins and our family, she's [our] mom and she's [our] confidant. She's got you when it feels like no one else has got you. She's the best cheerleader on Earth."

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