Ozzy Osbourne has long been rock royalty as the Prince of Darkness.
But the British metal god — who, like most of his native England, mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II this month — has a special fondness for the newly crowned King Charles III.
“He’s a very, very nice man. He’s always treated me with the utmost respect,” Osbourne, 73, told The Post. “In fact, when I had my bike accident [in 2003], he sent me a bottle of scotch … I wish him all the best.”
Osbourne himself is reigning with a new LP titled “Patient Number 9” that recently became his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart. The top slot comes 42 years after his solo debut, 1980’s “Blizzard of Ozz,” and 52 years after his first foray as lead singer of Black Sabbath.
“I don’t know what to say, actually. I’m a little shocked,” said Osbourne, who used the album as a therapeutic outlet while he coped with some major health problems.
In 2019, the pneumonia-stricken star sustained injuries in a fall at his home that led to multiple neck and back surgeries — most recently, in June. And in the very same year, he was diagnosed with a mild case of Parkinson’s disease.
But for Osbourne, making “Patient Number 9” — right on the heels of 2020’s “Ordinary Man” — was just what the doctor ordered. “It’s basically something that got me to stop thinking about me, about my health. It sends you f- -king crazy, you know?” he said. “That’s why I’m surprised at how well it’s done. But my goal now is to get my health back together.”
No doubt: There were some serious challenges making an album in Osbourne’s compromised state. “For me to sing with this neck thing is very difficult,” he said. “And I just can’t get my balance [back]. I’m trying. It’s just when they cut through your spine, you have to cut nerves. Getting back to normal, even taking a walk, is very hard.”
Standing by Osbourne’s side, of course, is his wife Sharon. The couple recently celebrated their 40th anniversary in July. While the two have had their ups and down — “It’s been well documented that we had a rock and roll relationship,” he said — Osbourne revealed the secret to staying together after all these years, “You become like one [another],” he said. “She’s my other half, and I couldn’t imagine being with anybody else.”
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of “The Osbournes,” the MTV reality that, airing from 2002 to 2005, became a cultural sensation.
“For a while, it was quite a bit of fun,” he said. “But then after a while — apart from the bathroom and the bedroom, we had cameras everywhere — it sends you nuts.”
Although his children Jack and Kelly became stars on “The Osbournes,” Aimee Osbourne — Ozzy and Sharon’s oldest child — didn’t appear on the show. “Aimee didn’t want anything to do with ‘The Osbournes,’” said the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who also has three other children (including one adopted son) from his first marriage to Thelma Riley.
Osbourne is also getting ready to become a grandfather for the ninth time. “Kelly’s having a baby. She’s got seven weeks to go now,” he said. “And she’s having a boy, thank God. Jack’s had nothing but girls … so Kelly having a boy is a welcome change.”
And Osbourne is planning to relocate from his longtime Beverly Hills home back to his estate in Buckinghamshire, England, later this year — at least part-time. “Six months there, six months here,” he said. “I’m not abandoning America. I mean, I love this country. I think this country is one of the best countries in the world.”
Although the iconic rocker sings about being a vampire on his new track “Immortal,” he knows that he won’t live forever.
“I’m 73,” said Osbourne. “I mean, time is my most valuable thing right now, you know?”