Buckingham Palace witnessed an unexpected and poignant moment as the Band of the Coldstream Guards delivered a thunderous rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” during the ceremonial Changing of the Guard. The tribute, performed just days after the passing of heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne, struck a deep emotional chord with fans across the nation.
Clips shared on TikTok quickly went viral, showing the iconic red-coated guards rocking the palace grounds with the unmistakable guitar-driven anthem. One viewer captured the sentiment of many, commenting, “This is the proudest I’ve been to be British in over a decade.” Another called it “pure British magic” and ended simply: “RIP Ozzy.”
The timing of the tribute was especially significant—it coincided with Osbourne’s funeral procession in his hometown of Birmingham. As fans lined the streets to bid farewell, some compared the collective outpouring of grief and admiration to the nation’s response following the deaths of royal family members.