The King’s Guards blasted a beautiful rendition of Dolly Parton’s iconic 1980 hit “9 to 5” across the forecourt of Buckingham Palace this morning in a poignant salute to the queen of country music.
The 12-time Grammy winner died on Tuesday at the age of 80, following a brief battle with cancer. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, broke the news in a video posted to social media.
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Crowds of tourists lined the railings of the royal residence to witness the special instrumental rendition, performed as part of the historic Changing the Guard ceremony.
Number 12 Company Irish Guards, resplendent in their red tunics and bearskin hats, marched alongside the Coldstream Guards band from Wellington Barracks to assume their duties at the Palace.
The Royal Family shared footage of the tribute on its official social media channels, accompanied by a heartfelt message: “Remembering the late, great Dolly, who brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library.
“We will always [love] you.”
Neither the King nor the Queen were present at the Palace, with the couple currently enjoying their annual summer retreat at Balmoral in Scotland.
The Union flag was flying above the building rather than the Royal Standard, confirming the monarch’s absence from the residence.
The emotional footage prompted an outpouring of feeling from royal admirers worldwide. “Thank you! That just brought tears,” wrote one commenter, while another described it as “a wonderful tribute from our King and Queen.”
A third said: “Dolly spent her life putting stories into children’s hands. Today, the Guards put one of her songs into the heart of London.
“She would have loved this.”
Queen Camilla’s literary charity, The Queen’s Reading Room, offered its own separate tribute to the superstar, hailing her as an “icon” for her tireless championing of childhood literacy.
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In an Instagram story, the organisation declared: “Today we remember and celebrate the unwavering advocate for the joy and importance of reading – the icon, Dolly Parton.”
The charity highlighted the extraordinary scale of Parton’s philanthropic endeavour through her Imagination Library, a programme that distributes free books to children from birth to the age of five.
The initiative, which expanded to the United Kingdom in 2007, has placed more than 300 million books into young hands over three decades.
“By putting so many books into the hands of so many children, she gave the most precious of gifts: the chance to millions of young minds of opening the door to imagination, possibility and a lifelong love of reading. Thank you, Dolly!” the charity added.
The country icon’s bond with the British Royal Family stretched back nearly half a century.
She performed at the Royal Variety Performance marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, later describing the experience as “one of the biggest thrills” of her life and calling the late monarch “very warm, very sweet”.
In 2023, the singer had to decline an invitation from the Princess of Wales to join her for tea, as she was occupied promoting her album, Rockstar.
She spoke of her desire to visit Britain as recently as 2025, citing the Royal Family’s involvement with her Imagination Library.
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