Dolly Parton reveals she declined tea invite from Kate Middleton

Dolly Parton turned down an invite to have tea with Kate Middleton while she is in the U.K. However, it was not because she did not want to, but because of her hectic schedule.

The singer is in the country to promote her new album "Rockstar" and she was asked during a chat with BBC Radio 2 host Claudia Winkleman if she planned to see more of London. She shared that her packed schedule would not permit her to tour around and revealed that she even had to politely decline an offer to have tea with the Princess of Wales.

The 77-year-old said, "This time, Lordy, I even got invited to have tea with Kate. And I felt so bad... I couldn't even go! They had all this stuff set up."

She added, "I thought it was very sweet and nice of her to invite me and one of these days I'm going to get to do that – that would be great."

Parton then jokingly said the reason she did not meet the future queen saying, "She wasn't going to promote my rock album so I had to say no." On a serious note, she shared her gratitude for the kind gesture from the Princess of Wales and said of her trip to London in general, "I love the people, the feel of London." Unfortunately, she would not be able to take in the sights because she is there on business.

Her "Rockstar" album will be released on Nov. 17 and it features contributions from several of U.K.'s music legends. These include Simon Le Bon, Paul McCartney, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, Ringo Starr, and Sting.

Parton may have missed the opportunity to have tea with Kate Middleton but she has had her brush with British royalty more than 45 years ago. The Tennessee native performed at Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. She was also among those who paid tribute to the late monarch following news of her death. The Queen died in September last year at the age of 96.

The "I Will Always Love You" hitmaker took to her Instagram and wrote, "I had the honour of meeting and performing for Queen Elizabeth on my trip to London in 1977. She carried herself with grace and strength her entire life." Parton included a black-and-white throwback photo of their meeting and added, "May she Rest In Peace. My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time."