Ozzy Osbourne and King Charles’ unlikely bond including monarch’s ‘gift’ after bike accident

Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness” who has died aged 76, may have seemed an unlikely friend of the British monarchy, but behind the heavy metal image was a surprising bond with King Charles.

The Black Sabbath frontman forged a connection with the monarch and the royal family over the years.
Singer Ozzy Osbourne had a surprising bond with King Charles 

Ozzy Osbourne sang for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace

One of Ozzy’s most iconic royal moments came in 2002, when he was invited to perform outside Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee.

He joined other music legends such as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Brian May to celebrate the queen’s 50-year reign.

Ozzy performed Paranoid in front of the now monarch, then Prince Charles, and a live audience of over one million people gathered across London.
Ozzy performed at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II’s golden jubilee in 2002 
“I’m thrilled to bits. I’m in shock, I feel like I’m going to wake up and it’ll all be a big dream,” Ozzy told ITN at the time.

Ozzy also vowed to be on his “best behaviour” at the time.

While the invitation surprised many, including Ozzy himself, he took the honour seriously, calling it the pinnacle of his career.

Ozzy said in an interview: “Heavy metal at the palace? I’m not sure whether the queen is a fan, but obviously she must be.”

He later described Queen Elizabeth as “a beautiful woman” after meeting her during the event.
The former Prince of Wales once gifted the rock icon a bottle of scotch as he recovered from an accident 

Ozzy Osbourne and King Charles’ unlikely bond

In 2006, Ozzy and his wife Sharon attended a royal reception at Clarence House to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Prince’s Trust.

Charles also hosted a special concert at the Tower of London in support of his charity.

Ozzy performed Crazy Train and Paranoid at the charity concert in front of Charles, Camilla, and Princes William and Harry.

A now-iconic photo from Ozzy’s meeting with the now king shows Charles in fits of laughter alongside the rock legend and singer Chico.
Ozzy met the then Prince Charles at Clarence House in 2006

Charles’ ‘gift’ to Ozzy after bike accident

However, this warm exchange wasn’t the first interaction between the future king and the rockstar.

In December 2003, Ozzy was left with “catastrophic injuries” in a quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire estate.

The crash left him with a broken collarbone, fractured ribs, and a broken vertebra in his neck.

As he recovered, Ozzy received an unexpected gesture from Charles, a bottle of Scotch sent as a get-well gift.

“He’s a very, very nice man,” Ozzy recalled in 2022 in an interview with the New York Post. “He’s always treated me with the utmost respect. When I had my bike accident, he sent me a bottle of Scotch. I wish him all the best.”

Ozzy’s wife Sharon also revealed on TalkTV that Charles had written to Ozzy during a later health scare.

When I had my bike accident, he sent me a bottle of Scotch. I wish him all the best.

“When my husband got sick, he wrote to him,” she said. “He’s the same age as Ozzy. And so he kind of gets it. He says, ‘We’ve done very well so far and this is just a little hurdle.’”
Ozzy Osbourne passed away on Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76 

Did Ozzy Osbourne have a knighthood?

Despite his legacy as one of Britain’s most influential musicians, Ozzy was never officially knighted. However, in 2014, a fan-led petition calling for his knighthood gained more than 14,000 signatures.

Ozzy responded with humility at the time.

“Getting knighted? I can’t imagine anything better,” he told Time Out. “And my wife would become a Lady, which would be pretty cool. But I’m not gonna get upset if it doesn’t happen. I never thought I’d get further than Aston.”

Though he may not have received a royal honour, the Prince of Darkness always had the quiet respect of the king.