Dolly Parton 'Scared to Death' Before Meeting Queen Elizabeth — Here's Why

Dolly Parton
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

When Queen Elizabeth II died, the public again learned why Dolly Parton was scared when she met her during her reign's Silver Jubilee celebration.

The longest-reigning British monarch's service came to an end when Queen Elizabeth II died on Sep. 8 at the age of 96. She passed away due to "old age" a night after she sparked worries when she postponed a virtual privy council meeting.

Celebrities, notable people, royal fans, and supporters around the globe expressed their heartbreaks after losing the Queen. Parton, for her part, expressed her sadness while sharing the story of how they met decades before the Queen's death.

On Instagram, she penned a short but heartfelt letter about their meeting. With that, the reports about how scared she was during the 1977 trip resurfaced.

Why Dolly Parton Was Scared To Meet Queen Elizabeth II

In 1977, Parton was tapped to perform at Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee celebrations.

In an interview with The Tennessean, the singer shared that she grew up listening to fairytale stories. So when she received an invite to meet the Queen, she could not express her excitement enough.

But aside from feeling lucky and happy, she also revealed she was nervous as she feared she might mess up the procedures to follow when meeting the monarch.

However, she felt a sense of relief after meeting the "warm" and "giving" Queen.

"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," she said. "And just meeting the Queen of England, just to meet a queen, it was amazing."

Years later, Parton met the Queen again for her 70th anniversary celebrations.

Dolly Parton Expressed Love for Queen Elizabeth II

Before Queen Elizabeth II's death, the world marked her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, during which Parton appeared in a special televised event.

The "Islands in the Stream" singer sent her congratulatory message to the monarch and thanked her for being wonderful.

She ended her speech by referencing one of her famous songs, telling Queen Elizabeth II "And I Will Always Love You."

Even amid the Jubilee service, Queen Elizabeth II worried fans as she pulled out the service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral at that time. Months later, the monarchy lost its Queen.

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Dolly Parton, Queen Elizabeth II
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