KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — East Tennessee’s queen is honoring Queen Elizabeth II following her death.

Dolly Parton shared her well wishes with the royal family Friday following the death of Elizabeth at 96. On Twitter, she shared an image from her meeting with the queen along with a statement.

“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 thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time,” wrote Parton.

When she was 31 years old, Parton performed for the queen during her trip to London and was able to meet the queen and her husband, Prince Philip. She was one of many stars in town for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

“That was a great moment, I thought,” she recalled in an interview with the Tennessean. “It’s like I’m not a star worshiper, but as a kid, I was always intrigued by the kings and queens, and I always loved the magazines and the books and their costumes and all. Of course, they weren’t like the old kings and queen of the old stories, but it still had that romantic feeling to me to think, ‘That’s the Queen of England.’”

In honor of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in February 2022, Parton appeared in a special televised event. During her message to the Queen, Parton said, “I just wanted to say thank you for being wonderful, you are more than pearls and you are more than platinum. You have been a shining diamond in this world for so long and everybody loves you. And I will always love you too.”