The country’s queen received a royal tribute after her death. The day after Dolly Parton’s death, the Coldstream Guards opened their Changing of the Guard medley at Buckingham Palace with a rendition of the late singer’s 1980 hit “9 to 5.” A video of the performance was shared on the royal family’s official social media channels.
“Remembering the late Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many, including the millions of children who received free books through her Imagination Library. We always ❤️ you,” the post captioned the post.
The video on Instagram has since garnered more than 12 million views, featuring Robert Hardman, author of Charles III: new king. New court. The inside story., commenting: “Royal soft power at its best. »
Royals are often praised for their use of soft power, and this tribute to an American icon is another example of that in action. Honoring Dolly allowed the royal family to join a global outpouring of love for the beloved singer, while connecting the monarchy to audiences beyond the UK.
Joe Petiteditor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, notes to GOOD MORNING!: “It’s all a matter of optics these days, but the Royal Household and its military counterparts have been ahead of the game. There is sometimes a delayed reaction to events, both domestic and international, but tributes like this to Dolly Parton ‘who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many’ often come very quickly. And with an audience of 13.2 million on Instagram alone, PR for the Royal Family is invaluable and immediate.
As the royal family expressed their love for the country queen this week, Dolly was a longtime admirer of the late Queen Elizabeth. In a 2023 interview with Insidershe described the late monarch as “very warm, very gentle”.
© Miller Mobley/NBC via Getty ImagDolly, who performed for the royal family at their silver jubilee in 1977, said “just meeting the Queen of England, just meeting a queen, was incredible”.
The Grammy winner celebrated Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee in 2022 with a video message telling the Queen: “I just wanted to thank you for being wonderful, you are more than pearls and you are more than platinum.”
“You’ve been a shining diamond in this world for so long and everyone loves you. And I will always love you too.”
After the Queen passed away later that year, Dolly paid tribute to the monarch, writing: “I had the honor of meeting and performing for Queen Elizabeth II during my trip to London in 1977. She carried herself with grace and strength throughout her life. May she rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time.”
© Getty ImagesDolly died on August 25 at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer. In addition to the tribute shared on the royal family’s official accounts, Queen Camilla’s reading room also shared a message on Instagram following the singer’s death.
“Today we remember and celebrate the steadfast advocate for the joy and importance of reading – icon Dolly Parton,” the post read. “Dolly once said, ‘We’ll never get enough books into the hands of enough kids’…but she’s given it a pretty good shot, donating more than 300 million books over 30 years through her Imagination Library.”
“By putting so many books into the hands of so many children, she gave the most precious gift: the chance for millions of young minds to open the door to imagination, possibility, and a lifelong love of reading. Thank you, Dolly!”