"This made me cry": Royal guard's stunning Tina Turner tribute
The late Tina Turner has been remembered in a special musical tribute outside Buckingham Palace, with the Band of Welsh Guards putting on their own performance of her 1989 hit song, ‘The Best’.
The captivating moment took place during the changing of the guard - a daily 45-minute ceremony in which The King’s Guard passes responsibility for protecting Buckingham Palace, as well as St James’ Palace, to the New Guard.
The Welsh Guards were joined by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Corps of Drums, and the entire performance reportedly went ahead with King Charles III’s full permission.
Footage was quickly shared across social media, and fans of the royals and music superstar alike were delighted with what they saw.
“This made me cry. So wonderful!!!” one wrote.
“Oh, that got me! What a fantastic thing to do,” another agreed.
“A lovely tribute to Tina by the Welsh Guards! I felt happy and sad listening to it! Thank you for all the songs, Tina,” one said.
“Brilliant … Bet a young Tina never would have thought her songs would be played by Guardsmen at Buckingham palace,” someone mused.
“Perfect tribute for the Queen of Rock and Roll,” another declared, “she will be missed, there will only be One Tina Turner.”
Simply the best! ❤️
At Buckingham Palace, the British Army’s @WelshGuardsBand played a special tribute to 🇺🇸 music icon Tina Turner during the #ChangingOfTheGuard 💂♂️
— British Embassy Washington (@UKinUSA) May 26, 2023
The tribute came less than one week after Tina had passed away at 83, and on the back of touching words from friends, family, and fans across the globe.
And the chosen song, ‘The Best’, holds a special place in the hearts of the royals - particularly for Charles’ eldest son, Prince William.
In 2021, William had spoken to Apple’s Time to Walk podcast that his mother - the late Princess Diana - used to play music for himself and his brother, Harry, “to kind of while away the anxiety of going back to [boarding] school.”
The song that “stuck” with him? Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’.
“Because sitting in the backseat, singing away, it felt like a real family moment,” he said. “And my mother, she'd be driving along, singing at the top of her voice … And when I listen to it now, it takes me back to those car rides, and brings back lots of memories of my mother.”
It was something - along with the royal tribute - that fans speculated would have meant a lot to Tina, a “resilient” woman who had experienced the heartache of losing loved ones, too.
Tina’s life had had its joy as well, from her music to her devoted husband, and although the final years of her life had seen the singer engaged in a fierce battle with her own declining health, she still dedicated her time to doing what she did best - though her appearances grew rarer as time went on.
And it was all of this that her fans were happy to celebrate along with the guards, in the best way anyone knew how - through music.
Images: Twitter, Getty