Buckingham Palace pays tribute to Ozzy Osbourne during royal tradition
King Charles’s soldiers paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne with a special musical performance following the rock legend’s death.
On July 30, fan footage shared on TikTok captured the Band of the Coldstream Guards playing Black Sabbath’s iconic song “Paranoid” during the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
“This is awesome. Proudest I’ve felt of this country for about 15 years,” one commenter wrote beneath the video.
“This is Britishness at its best,” another added. “RIP Ozzy.”
The Changing of the Guard is a traditional royal ceremony where active-duty soldiers on patrol swap places with the next rotation, with the “Old Guard” and “New Guard” exchanging positions to the accompaniment of music played by a military band.
The guards’ tribute coincided with Osbourne’s funeral procession in Birmingham, where crowds lined the streets in a display of mourning reminiscent of that shown for a royal figure.
Sharon, Aimee, Kelly and Jack Osbourne all gathered to say goodbye to Ozzy, who died on Tuesday, July 22, aged 76.
His death came more than five years after revealing his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2003.
The heavy metal icon’s final performance was at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert on July 5 in his hometown of Birmingham, where he performed seated on a throne.
“That show meant everything,” a source told People. “It brought his career full circle.”
Over the years, the rocker and reality TV star crossed paths with the Royal Family on several occasions.
He performed at the “Party at the Palace” concert celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee at Buckingham Palace in 2002, and met the future King Charles at a 2006 reception for his charity, then known as The Prince’s Trust, held at Clarence House.
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After King Charles became monarch in September 2022, Osbourne expressed his support for the new sovereign.
“He’s a very, very nice man. He’s always treated me with the utmost respect,” Osbourne told The New York Post.
“In fact, when I had my bike accident [in 2003], he sent me a bottle of scotch… I wish him all the best.”