In the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s passing, folks on social media are recirculating an amazing story about the Queen breaking a 600-year-old royal tradition in the days following the September 11th attacks in America.
From We Are The Mighty:
On September 12, Queen Elizabeth II made a request that broke a 600-year-old royal tradition. For centuries, the Bands of the Household Division played music during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and all the other Royal Palaces and Castles. The music played during the ceremony has always been a mix of traditional British songs and popular music of the day. However, foreign national anthems are played for state visits in honor of foreign dignitaries. In an unprecedented show of solidarity, the Queen requested the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
On September 13, an estimated 5,000 people gathered outside of Buckingham Palace, many of them Americans. The Coldstream Guards, the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army, conducted the Changing of the Guard. During the ceremony, the Band of the Coldstream Guards played “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Some of the crowd sang along while the American ambassador to Britain, William Farish, stood with his hand over his heart next to Prince Andrew. Many in the crowd waved American flags with tears in their eyes.
Watch the clip above.
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