King Charles marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by repeating one of Queen Elizabeth’s most unusual gestures as monarch.
During a special Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace on September 11, the Band of the Coldstream Guards performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Foreign national anthems are normally associated with state visits, but the American anthem was included as part of the anniversary tribute, according to PEOPLE.
The choice echoed September 13, 2001, when Queen Elizabeth personally requested that the same anthem be played outside Buckingham Palace just two days after the attacks. There was no visiting U.S. head of state at the time, making the decision a notable departure from palace tradition.
Although Charles did not attend Friday’s ceremony in person, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester represented him and took the Royal Salute on his behalf. Among those gathered in the palace forecourt were U.S. Ambassador Warren Stephens and his wife Harriet, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Security Minister Dan Jarvis and other British and American guests.
The Palace Recreated Queen Elizabeth’s 2001 Gesture
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The American anthem was one part of a broader commemorative program. The Coldstream Guards also performed the U.K. national anthem, “Amazing Grace,” John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen” and American military marches associated with composer John Philip Sousa.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester’s role had been scheduled in advance. The Royal Family’s official diary listed the couple for a “Special Tribute at Guard Mounting” to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The connection to 2001 gave “The Star-Spangled Banner” particular significance. Queen Elizabeth had ordered the Coldstream Guards to perform it during the Changing of the Guard on September 13 while thousands gathered outside the palace. A British government tribute after her death later cited the decision as one of the clearest examples of her solidarity with the United States after 9/11.
The following day, Elizabeth attended a memorial service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. PEOPLE reported that she joined in singing the American anthem there as well, something especially unusual for a monarch who ordinarily did not sing national anthems publicly.
Charles Had Already Marked the Anniversary at Ground Zero
In New York today, The King and Queen have paid their respects at the 9/11 Memorial.
During their time at the site, Their Majesties honoured the lives that were lost during the attacks, and recognised the courage of the men and women involved in the rescue efforts.
This year… pic.twitter.com/hYwWKHn2Pv
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 29, 2026
The Buckingham Palace ceremony was not Charles’ first 9/11 remembrance of the anniversary year. He and Queen Camilla visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York on April 29 during their state visit to the United States.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum said the King and Queen laid flowers, met victims’ relatives and first responders and honored the 2,977 people killed in the attacks, including 67 citizens of the United Kingdom.
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg accompanied them during the visit. Charles and Camilla also met Will Jimeno, the retired Port Authority police officer who survived after being trapped beneath the World Trade Center rubble for 13 hours.
Their flowers carried a handwritten message expressing continued solidarity with the American people ahead of the 25th anniversary.
Queen Elizabeth Continued Returning to the Memory of 9/11
The 2001 anthem performance became one of several ways Queen Elizabeth marked the attacks during her reign.
Later that month, she sent a message to New York addressing families of those who had been killed or remained missing. The message included one of her most frequently repeated lines about bereavement: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
She returned to Ground Zero during a visit to New York in July 2010 and laid a wreath in memory of the victims. The gesture came nearly nine years after she had first ordered the American anthem played at Buckingham Palace.
That anthem returned to the same palace forecourt on September 11, 2026, exactly 25 years after the attacks Queen Elizabeth had responded to with the original request.