Royal Guard plays '9 to 5' at Buckingham Palace for Dolly Parton

The British royal family honored the late Dolly Parton with a musical tribute at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, one day after the country music icon and philanthropist died at the age of 80. Parton passed away on Tuesday, August 25, at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, following what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loved ones.

During the traditional Changing of the Guard ceremony, the Band of the Coldstream Guards performed an instrumental version of Parton's 1980 hit "9 to 5" as the new guard arrived at the palace. Crowds of tourists watched from the railings. King Charles III and Queen Camilla were not in residence, as they were on their annual summer stay at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The royal family's official social media accounts later posted footage of the performance with a caption 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." The message concluded with a reference to another of Parton's signature songs.

Queen Camilla's charity, The Queens Reading...