Metal legend Ozzy Osbourne was recently honored with a musical tribute by King Charles’s soldiers following the legendary heavy metal singer’s death.
The Band of the Coldstream Guards perform "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath at Changing of the Guard today. RIP Ozzy Osbourne, the "Prince of Darkness" #guard #kingsguard #ozzyosbourne #blacksabbath #paranoid #heavymetal #rockband #london #buckinghampalace 💂🤘🏽 pic.twitter.com/tZM45WvCM6
— Claudette Forrester (@forresterbird) July 30, 2025
On July 30th, the Band Of The Coldstream Guards, which is comprised of musicians from The Royal Corps Of Army Music and is one of 14 regular army bands in the British army, performed the Black Sabbath song “Paranoid” during the Changing Of The Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
The Changing of the Guard is a formal ceremony in which the soldiers protecting Buckingham Palace are replaced by a new group of guards. This event has been a significant part of British history for centuries, with the first ceremony dating back to the reign of King Henry VII.
During the ceremony, the guards, wearing their distinctive red tunics and bearskin hats—symbols of British ceremonial heritage—performed the classic song “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath for about three minutes for the crowd. You can find video footage of this performance at this location.
The Band of the Coldstream Guards’ rendition of “Paranoid” took place on the day of a legend’s funeral procession in Birmingham, United Kingdom, where thousands of fans paid their respects as the funeral cortège traveled through his hometown.
Ozzy Osbourne, the lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, has had several encounters with the British royals, including in 2002 when he performed for the late Queen Elizabeth II. On that occasion, he sang “Paranoid” in front of the monarch, as well as then-Prince Charles and Princes William and Harry, during a concert titled “Party at the Palace” in celebration of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
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