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Dolly Parton shared a heartfelt memory in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch in history who died on Thursday (September 8). She was 96.
“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. May she Rest In Peace. My thought and prayers are with her family at this time,” the country music legend wrote in a statement on Friday (September 9). Parton also shared a decades-old photo from the day she met the Queen.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the Royal Family announced on Thursday, after Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen’s doctors were concerned about her health earlier that day. Born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Queen Elizabeth II ruled for a record-breaking 70 years. She was crowned queen at 27 years old, on June 2, 1953. She leaves behind her four children, eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. Her son Charles, Prince of Wales, will now take the throne.
During the span of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule, Parton experienced “one of the biggest thrills of my life.” Their meeting in 1977 came at a time that Parton, already successfully making country music, pursued pop crossover, a Nashville Tennessean report pointed out, reflecting on the way Queen Elizabeth II “helped launch Dolly Parton’s pop-crossover success.”
Parton’s heartfelt statement in honor of Queen Elizabeth II joins many others in an outpouring of tributes following the confirmation of her death. Fellow country singer-songwriter Maren Morris, for example, shared a tribute, as well as a lengthy list of celebrities and world leaders. See Parton’s message here: