{"id":330263,"date":"2026-08-26T16:22:53","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/330263\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T16:22:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:22:53","slug":"dolly-parton-shared-the-most-precious-gifts-with-queen-camilla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/330263\/","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton Shared \u201cThe Most Precious Gifts\u201d With Queen Camilla"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday, August 26, The Queen\u2019s Reading Room Charity<\/a> posted a special tribute to Dolly Parton<\/a>, who died at the age of 80 on August 25. And while Queen Camilla<\/a> might not be the first person you think of when remembering the legacy of the late superstar, the two actually had much more in common than expected.<\/p>\n

Parton was not only a country singer and humanitarian, but a worldwide champion for literacy<\/a>\u2014and encouraging people to read<\/a> is one of The Queen\u2019s biggest passions. Children around the world have received free books from birth through age five through Parton\u2019s Imagination Library<\/a>, an effort Camilla praised in her charity\u2019s Instagram tribute.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday we remember and celebrate the unwavering advocate for the joy and importance of reading\u2014the icon, Dolly Parton,\u201d The Queen\u2019s Reading Room posted on Instagram. \u201cDolly once said, \u2018You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children\u2019\u2026but she gave it a pretty good go, donating more than 300 million books over 30+ years through her Imagination Library<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Latest Videos FromMarie Claire<\/p>\n

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\"Dolly\n<\/p>\n

Dolly Parton reads a story to children on Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas special in 2022.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

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\"Queen\n<\/p>\n

Queen Camilla reads to children during a 2023 visit to Kenya.<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cBy putting so many books into the hands of so many children, she gave the most precious of gifts: the chance to millions of young minds of opening the door to imagination, possibility and a lifelong love of reading,\u201d the post continued. \u201cThank you, Dolly!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sadly, Queen Camilla<\/a> never got to meet Parton, but the country music icon did rub elbows with Queen Elizabeth<\/a> in 1977 during the late monarch\u2019s Silver Jubilee.<\/p>\n

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Parton once told the Glasgow Times<\/a> that she had no idea she was performing for the late Queen until the last minute.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they told me on the plane I was appearing in front of The Queen, I just jumped up and down telling everyone,” she shared. \u201cWhen I was a little girl, I grew up in a world of kings and queens and princes and princesses in fairy tales. Now I\u2019m going to meet one.\u201d<\/p>\n

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