Dolly Parton, legendary US country singer, dies aged 80

Anthony ZurcherNorth America correspondent

The US flag was flown at half-staff in honour of the late Senator Lindsay Graham last month

We reported earlier that US President Donald Trump said all American flags will be lowered for one week.

By ordering US flags to be flown half-staff for seven days, Donald Trump is providing Dolly Parton with a rare honour.

Per US flag code, only a handful of individuals are specifically designated to receive such a lengthy period of national mourning.

Flags fly half-staff for current and former presidents for 30 days. Sitting vice presidents, current and former Supreme Court chief justices and the speaker of the House of Representatives each receive a 10-day observation.

Members of Congress, by contrast, only receive two days of recognition. The length for others, such as governors, cabinet secretaries and associate Supreme Court justices, varies depending on how long it takes for them to be interred.

As with Parton, presidents can also order half-staff flags for prominent private citizens.

Trump designated four days of mourning after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in 2025. Pope John Paul II, Neil Armstrong , Rosa Parks, Billy Graham and Nelson Mandela also received a day or more of recognitions.

A full week of observance is exceedingly unusual, however. The last time that happened was in 1965, when President Lyndon Baines Johnson ordered the flags lowered following the death of Winston Churchill.