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Buckingham Palace Plays Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' On Day Of Funeral

Buckingham Palace Plays Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' On Day Of Funeral

Hours before the Queen of Soul's funeral, the Welsh Guards performed a cover of her hit 'Respect' in London

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

The Queen of England honoured the 'Queen of Soul' by playing Respect during the Changing of the Guard ceremony on Friday morning ahead of Aretha Franklin's funeral, MailOnline have reported.

And on the other side of the pond in Detroit, more than 130 pink Cadillacs from across the US have gathered in Detroit to line the road in front of the church where Aretha Franklin's funeral is being held.

The MailOnline reported that the touching gesture pays homage to one of her most famous songs, Freeway Of Love.

The cars are paying tribute to the Queen of Soul's hit song, a 1985 song that features chorus lyrics: "We're going riding on the freeway of love. In a pink Cadillac."

The idea came from Crisette Ellis, who said she was inspired after seeing police line up in their cars for fallen officers.

WDIV

She explained to NPR: "My husband said, 'Wouldn't it be awesome if we could have a sea of pink Cadillacs parked on Seven Mile Road to greet Ms. Aretha Franklin as she arrives?'

"They're coming from everywhere," she added. "They are coming from as far as Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Florida; North Carolina; Maryland."

WDIV

Aretha Franklin passed away aged 76 on August 16. She was surrounded by family and friends at her home in Detroit following a battle with advanced pancreatic cancer.

In a statement the family have said: "It is with deep and profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aretha Louise Franklin, the Queen of Soul, in a statement issues by Franklin's family through her longtime publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn.

"Franklin, 76 years old, passed away on Thursday morning, August 16 at 9:50am at her home in Detroit, MI, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Detroit residents wait in line to enter the Greater Grace Temple for legendary singer Aretha Franklin's funeral.
PA

"In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family. The love she had for her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins knew no bounds.

"We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world. Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

Featured Image Credit: PA/Twitter

Topics: Celebrity, News, Funeral, Cars