Queen Elizabeth II's favorite songs included show tunes like "Oklahoma!" and "Anything You Can Do," classics by Fred Astaire and Vera Lynn, modern hits like "Sing" by Gary Barlow, and hymns such as "Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven," revealing a love for musicals, wartime classics, and devotional music, with some reports also mentioning Cole Porter tunes.
Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven
The Queen loved this Christian hymn, written by Anglican clergyman Henry Francis Lyte. First published in 1834, Lyte's hymn draws on Psalm 103, which is believed to have been written during the life of the Hebrew King David.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody: released 31st October 1975
Having notched up over 2.6 billion plays on Spotify, 1.8 billion views on YouTube, the eternally popular single remains Queen's biggest ever hit.
From Henry Purcell's epic King Arthur to Fred Astaire's playful “Cheek to Cheek”, from solemn orchestral pages to Broadway classics and British lieder, the Queen's musical tastes are in the image of her reign: traditional, yet often thoroughly eclectic and surprising!
The queen was also a young fan of the stage musical genre. Among her favorite musicals was the hit American show “Oklahoma!” by the influential musical duo of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II.
Although critical reaction was initially mixed, retrospective reviews have acclaimed "Bohemian Rhapsody" as one of the greatest songs of all time, and it is often regarded as the band's signature song.
Elton John was a big favorite of Princess Diana and he famously rearranged his hit song, "Candle in the Wind," for her funeral.
The coffin carrying Queen Elizabeth. That tune—"Sleep, Dearie, Sleep"—is the name of The Crown's final episode.
It is 'Love Of My Life'. Love of My Life first appeared on Queen's seminal album, A Night At The Opera in 1975. Written by Freddie Mercury, it was not released as a single at the time and did not immediately make it onto the live setlist.
ABBA, show tunes and Cliff Richard: Queen Elizabeth II's favourite music. Cliff Richard, ABBA and Dame Vera Lynn... we revisit Queen Elizabeth II's favourite artists.
1: Bohemian Rhapsody (1977)
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is the only song to have made it to Christmas No. 1 twice.
It was Michael Jackson who suggested to Queen they should release "Another One Bites The Dust" as a single. It would spend 15 weeks in the Billboard top 10, the longest-running top ten song of 1980, including 13 weeks in the top five and winning them a Grammy.
"Sleep, Dearie, Sleep" was played at the end of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey. The Queen's piper, Warrant Officer Class 1 (Pipe Major) Paul Burns, whose task was playing the bagpipes outside the Queen's window each morning to wake her up, performed the traditional lament.
“When they tried to kick me out of England, the Queen made a comment that her grandbabies loved Snoop Doggy Dogg, and he had done no wrong in the U.K., so she gave me permission to be here,” he shared.
Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains the most- streamed 1970s song in Britain, with over 4.4 billion global plays by September 2025. There's no other song like it!
Here are ten Queen funeral songs, along with their significance and lyrics, that could be considered appropriate for such an occasion:
Classical Music / Master of the Queen's Music
The Queen was a devotee and champion of classical music throughout her life. As such, during her reign, she paid special attention to the Master of the Queen's Music. The role is held by distinguished members of the classical music community.
Paul McCartney once called "God Only Knows" the "greatest song ever written." He added, "It's one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It's really just a love song, but it's brilliantly done.
Communion Songs: One Bread One Body; Here I am Lord; I am the Bread of Life; Recessional: Precious Lord Take Me Home; How Great though Art; On Eagles Wings, Amazing Grace. If you have songs at the cemetery during burial you may pick some of his favorite Christian songs outside of the church.
THE SCOOP | The Royal Conservatory Of Music Honours Queen Elizabeth II With Her Favourite Hymn. As a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Conservatory of Music has released a special recording of “The Lord is My Shepherd”, her favourite hymn.
Margaret was a big support to Diana in the beginning, but after the Panorama interview she withdrew her support. She felt that Diana showed lack of respect for the Royal institution and for her sister the Queen. Also the reason she didn't bow her head as Diana's coffin went by during the funeral procession.
When Diana walked down the aisle of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1981, it was to Jeremiah Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March"—a bold, stately piece that perfectly matched her royal status. This iconic processional has since become one of the most requested classical wedding pieces of all time.
In the final years of her life, Princess Diana thought she had found “the one.” Friends say Diana referred to Pakistani-born cardiac surgeon Hasnat Khan as the “love of her life,” and her former butler revealed that she called Khan her soulmate.