King Charles and Queen Camilla Honour Dolly Parton With Music at the Changing of the Guard
King Charles and Queen Camilla paid public tribute to Dolly Parton on August 26, 2026, hours after the singer's death was announced, asking the Guards band to play her greatest hits at that morning's Changing of the Guard ceremony — including "9 to 5." Royal Central
Parton died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80. Her cause of death was confirmed as cancer, following a short illness. Royal Central The Daily Beast
The royal couple's message, posted on the Royal Family's official social media accounts, described Parton as someone who "brought joy, comfort and inspiration to so many – including the millions of children given free books through her Imagination Library." They signed off with the words: "We will always love you" — a nod to one of Parton's best-known songs. Royal Central
The Imagination Library, founded by Parton in 1995, mails a free book every month to children from birth to age five. The programme now operates in five countries and has reached millions of children. Royal Central
Parton's career spanned more than six decades. She sold over 100 million records and wrote more than 3,000 songs. "I Will Always Love You," which Parton wrote and first recorded in 1973, reached number one in countries worldwide when Whitney Houston recorded it for the 1992 film The Bodyguard. Royal Central
Her honours included eleven Grammy Awards, three Emmy Awards, and nominations for two Oscars, six Golden Globes, and a Tony Award. She married Carl Dean in 1966, at the age of 20; Dean died in 2025. Royal Central
The request for the Guards band to play Parton's music at the Changing of the Guard — the daily ceremony outside Buckingham Palace in which the Old Guard hands over responsibility to the New Guard — placed a country songwriter's work inside one of the most visible pieces of royal pageantry. The band's repertoire is chosen by the Director of Music in consultation with the Household Division, and royal requests for specific music at the ceremony are rare but not unprecedented.
