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Buckingham Palace's personal move to honor Ozzy Osbourne was all the more special for this reason


Ozzy died on July 22 2025


Prince Charles meets Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne at a reception at Clarence House in 2006© WireImage
Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca LewisLos Angeles correspondent
August 1, 2025
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Ozzy Osbourne's passing on July 22 left the nation in mourning.

The Prince of Darkness with the heart of gold, Ozzy was a national treasure and so it makes sense that he would also be honored by Britain's royal palaces with a moving tribute that was kept private.

On July 31 Ozzy was laid to rest at his beloved Buckinghamshire estate, a day after his coffin took part in a funeral procession through the streets of Birmingham where his wife Sharon, 72, and children saw the buried at his beloved home, thousands of floral tributes left on Black Sabbath Bench in the city centre.

That same day, footage shared to TikTok reveals that the Band of the Coldstream Guards performed the Black Sabbath song "Paranoid" during the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

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The decision for the music comes from the royal communications staff in collaboration with King Charles, but it was made all the more special because it was a private tribute not shared on the royal palace's social media accounts.

The Changing of the Guard is the daily royal ceremony in which active-duty soldiers who have been on patrol exchange places with the next rotation.

Members of the Kings Guard line up in front of Buckingham Palace prior to the Changing of the Guard Ceremony on April 8, 2024 © Getty Images
Members of the Kings Guard line up in front of Buckingham Palace prior to the Changing of the Guard Ceremony

"Ozzy's digging this and probably can;t believe his country is honoring his like this," commented one fan on the account, as another shared that it was the "proudest I've felt of this country for about 15 years".

"This is Britishness at its best," another said. "RIP Ozzy."

Prince Harry (right) chats to Ozzy Osbourne at the Party of the Park Concert at Buckingham Palace© PA Images via Getty Images
Prince Harry (right) chats to Ozzy Osbourne at the Party of the Park Concert at Buckingham Palace

Ozzy died on July 22 at his home in the United Kingdom with his wife Sharon by his side. Thames Valley air ambulance arrived at the home at 10:30am with the Daily Mail reporting the helicopter left the property two hours later

A spokesperson for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance confirmed with the outlet that "our helicopter was dispatched to provide advanced critical care at an incident near Chalfont St Giles yesterday".

Black Sabbath, 1970: Bill Ward, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi during Black Sabbath File Photos in , United Kingdom.© Getty Images
Black Sabbath, circa 1970: Ozzy sits from center

Ozzy fronted the rock band Black Sabbath for over a decade before he went solo.

He died surrounded by his family, and the news was confirmed in a statement.

ozzy osbourne with cane and sharon osbourne© Getty Images
Ozzy was surrounded by family including wife Sharon Osbourne

"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning," the statement read. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family's privacy at this time."

The statement was signed by Ozzy's widow, Sharon, 72, and four of the late singer's children: Kelly, 40, Jack, 39, Aimee, 41, and Louis, 50.

osbourne family ozzy funeral© Anadolu via Getty Images
The wife of Ozzy, Sharon, mourns during the funeral procession

Ozzy was laid to rest with a private funeral attended by family and close friends, including Marilyn Manson, Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor and Ozzy's lead guitarist Zakk Wylde.

His final wishes were reportedly to be buried at his beloved home, near Gerrards Cross, England, close to the lake at the heart of the sprawling 250-acre estate.

"I honestly don't care what they play at my funeral - they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and "We Are The Diddymen" if it makes 'em happy. But I do want to make sure it's a celebration, not a mope-fest," Ozzy said in 2011 of his future funeral.

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