The British royal family marked the death of Dolly Parton with a public musical tribute at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, the day after the country icon and philanthropist passed away at the age of 80.
Parton died on Tuesday, August 25 at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, after what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loved ones. Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the death on behalf of the family. A later statement from her team said she had spent her life bringing “joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched.”
During the Changing the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the Band of the Coldstream Guards performed an instrumental version of Parton’s 1980 hit “9 to 5” as the new guard arrived at the palace. Crowds of tourists watched from the railings. King Charles III and Queen Camilla were not in residence, as they were on their summer stay at Balmoral.
The royal family’s official social media accounts posted footage of the performance with the caption, “Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many – including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library. We will always you.” The closing line referenced Parton’s song “I Will Always Love You.”
Queen Camilla’s charity, The Queen’s Reading Room, separately described Parton as an “unwavering advocate for the joy and importance of reading” and noted that her Imagination Library had put more than 300 million books into children’s hands. Parton had met Queen Elizabeth II in 1977 at a Silver Jubilee event in Glasgow.
Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many – including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library. We will always ❤️ you. pic.twitter.com/wdKHKGALlH
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 26, 2026
In the U.S., President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff nationwide for one week, beginning at 6 p.m. on August 25 and continuing through sunset on September 1. “Very sad to report that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER, has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will. In her honor, I am lowering the American flag throughout the United States for a one week period beginning tonight at 6:00PM. Rest in Peace, Dolly! The World loves you,” the president posted on Truth Social.
Additional tributes poured in from across the globe.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Parton made an “enormous difference” through education and hospital funding and that she “lived a great life.” In Canada, singer Céline Dion wrote that the world would miss “one of the most joyful voices this world has ever known.”
Ugandan opposition leader and musician Bobi Wine posted that her songs “taught us to fall in love and how to express,” and Mick Jagger called her a “wonderful songwriter and singer” who “brought so many people together.”
