The Royal Guests Dolly Parton Wants To See At Her Amusement Park

There's no denying that Dolly Parton lives a lavish life as country music royalty. In addition to releasing over 60 albums and winning 10 Grammy Awards (as of writing), Parton has changed country music. She also has her very own theme park, Dollywood, in her home state of Tennessee. And Parton says she'd love to host some actual royalty at the park.

Last year, Parton revealed in an interview with BBC Radio 2 that Catherine, Princess of Wales, actually invited her to tea. However, Parton had to take a rain check, as she was busy promoting her album "Rockstar" at the time. Parton said she "felt so bad" about having to miss out on the opportunity, adding, "And one of these days, I'm going to be able to get to do that" (via TikTok). It seems Parton has the perfect way to make up for it. In a November 2024 interview with Closer, Parton invited Kate Middleton and her kids – Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales, and Prince Louis of Wales — to come to Dollywood, presumably with Middleton's husband William, Prince of Wales as well.

"Oh, I would absolutely love for them to come to Dollywood, that would be fantastic!" Parton said. "The kids could go on all the rides and we would treat them like royalty!" However, the country music icon says she would also make sure the royals get an authentic Tennessee experience: "I'd give Kate my mashed potatoes — I wouldn't put on any airs for them. I would just let them enjoy what we enjoy, and I'm sure that's the way they would want it. I would love to have those kids at Dollywood."

On the "RoyalsGossip" Reddit page, royal watchers loved the idea of the royal family heading to Dollywood for a fun day out. One fan shared a gif of Dolly Parton raising her arms up and said, "LET'S GOOOO! Royalty meeting royalty!"

However, members of the royal family certainly wouldn't be the first celebrities to grace Dollywood. Back in 2022, talk show host Jimmy Fallon was spotted at the Tennessee theme park while filming the NBC made-for-TV movie "Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas." The holiday feature also starred the father-daughter duo of Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus. The Cyruses had previously performed at Dollywood in 2010 to help celebrate the park's 25th anniversary. The late Kenny Rogers was part of those festivities as well.

On top of that, Dollywood has gotten a number of shout-outs in the broader pop culture sphere over the years. For example, the park was mentioned in a 1999 episode of "The Simpsons" titled "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" — in which Parton guest-starred as herself. Nearly a decade later, fellow Fox animated series "American Dad" repeatedly mentioned Parton's theme park in the 2007 episode "Bush Comes to Dinner." The royals heading to Parton's theme park might seem like another television show plot, but maybe it'll happen off the screen and in real life.