Buckingham Palace honoured the late country music star Dolly Parton in a very special way on Wednesday following her death this week.
The Band of the Coldstream Guards performed Dolly’s 9 To 5 hit during Changing the Guard. Scores of tourists watched from the palace railings.
The musical choice echoed the guards’ 2025 performance of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid for Ozzy Osbourne.
The royal family’s official social media account shared footage from the latest performance. The message called her “the late, great Dolly”.
It said she “brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many”. It added: “We will always [love] you.”
Fans gushed over the tribute as one person said: “Beautiful tribute for a beautiful person.”
Another wrote: “What a beautiful tribute! You guys rock! I’m sure she’s smiling in heaven.”
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Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 plays at Buckingham Palace
Number 12 Company Irish Guards served as the new guard during Wednesday morning’s ceremony.
The soldiers marched from Wellington Barracks in their red tunics and bearskin hats. The Band of the Coldstream Guards accompanied them to the palace.
Their instrumental version of 9 To 5 added an unexpected country-pop moment to the historic ceremony.
King Charles and Queen Camilla did not attend the tribute. The couple are at Balmoral in Scotland.
The Union flag flew above Buckingham Palace instead of the Royal Standard. It showed the king was not in residence.
Queen Camilla’s Reading Room celebrates Dolly Parton
Queen Camilla’s charity also praised Dolly’s long commitment to children’s literacy.
The Queen’s Reading Room called her an “icon” and celebrated her belief in the importance and joy of reading.
Dolly’s Imagination Library distributed more than 300 million free books around the world over three decades. It helped millions of children gain access to books.
The charity called Dolly “the unwavering advocate for the joy and importance of reading”.
It thanked the singer for opening the door to imagination, possibility and a lifelong love of reading for children.
That work gave the Palace tribute a focus beyond Dolly’s star-studded music career. It celebrated the generosity that featured heavily in messages following her death.
Dolly Parton’s history with the royal family
Dolly’s connection with the royal family stretched back nearly five decades.
In 1977, she performed at the Royal Variety Show in Glasgow. The event marked Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee and also featured the Jackson 5.
Dolly later recalled meeting the late Queen and described her as very sweet during a 2023 interview.
That year, the Princess of Wales also invited Dolly for tea during a UK visit. However, album promotion commitments meant the singer could not attend.
Dolly Parton tributes continue after her death aged 80
Dolly died on Tuesday at the age of 80. Her representatives said her death followed a brief battle with cancer.
Her family later confirmed that she would have a small, private funeral in line with her wishes.
The Buckingham Palace performance joined tributes from some of showbusiness’s biggest names.
Graham Norton praised Dolly’s talent and humanity, while Jane Fonda remembered her generosity and playful spirit. Billy Ray Cyrus also shared his memories of the singer.
Taylor Swift described Dolly as “true grace and true grit” and praised the lives she changed.
At Buckingham Palace, 9 To 5 offered a joyful salute to that legacy. It celebrated a song which remains among Dolly’s best-known hits.
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