Ozzy Osbourne Received a Royal Honor You Have to See to Believe
Ozzy Osbourne was honored by King Charles’ guards at Buckingham Palace as his funeral took place in Birmingham, England.
On July 30, fans posted videos to TikTok that showed the Band of the Coldstream Guards performing the vintage Black Sabbath song "Paranoid" during the Changing of the Guard ceremony outside of Buckingham Palace.
Ozzy Osbourne Received a Rare Honor
As the world said goodbye to Osbourne, the British Army band's brass and woodwind instrumentalists played his 1970 heavy metal song under the eye of a conductor. The band members wore red coats and traditional black bearskin hats.
Fans commented on what an honor the tribute to Osbourne was.
“Brilliant. Ozzy would have love this so much,” English journalist Piers Morgan wrote on X.
“Don't think any musician has had this done after their passing,” another fan wrote.
“Well, he was a Prince ????,” another fan joked on TikTok, in reference to Osbourne’s Prince of Darkness nickname.
@theprojecttv OK, but this tribute to Ozzy Osbourne is actually incredible. You will have never heard Black Sabbath like this before!
♬ original sound - TheProjectTV - TheProjectTV
The Changing of the Guard ceremony is a traditional event in which the soldiers on duty are relieved by a new group of soldiers to guard Buckingham Palace. The event is accompanied by a military band that plays music and traditional marches.
Ozzy Osbourne Once Visited Buckingham Palace
This isn’t the first time “Paranoid” was played at Buckingham Palace. In 2023, Osbourne performed the song during an outdoor concert to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Phil Collins joined Osbourne onstage for the performance.
At the time, Osbourne admitted he was surprised to be invited to perform at the royal event, “I have got no idea [why I was invited] but I hope they realize what they've booked,” he told ITN News. “I'm a pretty loud guy, you know. I hope I don’t deafen the queen or something.”
Fans of The Osbournes reality show later learned that Osbourne mistakenly called the Queen "Your holiness" instead of "Your Highness" when he met her.
Twenty years later, when Queen Elizabeth II died at age 96, Osbourne mourned the loss. “I mourn with my country the passing of our greatest Queen. With a heavy heart, I say it’s devastating the thought of England without Queen Elizabeth II,” Osbourne wrote on Facebook in September 2022.
Osbourne died at his Buckinghamshire estate on July 22 at age 76.
Related: Ozzy Osbourne’s Funeral Procession Made a Poignant Detour