It was a ceremony fit for royalty. A regal hearse. A procession through crowd-lined streets. A brass band playing. And throngs of devoted, tearful admirers paying their respects as the coffin passed. It was time to say goodbye to the Prince of Darkness. On Wednesday, Ozzy Osbourne, one of the founders of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, received just such a tribute in Birmingham, England — his hometown — ahead of a private family funeral. It was the third time this month that fans had descended on the city for an Ozzfest of sorts. On July 5, they flocked here for Osbourne’s final concert at a soccer stadium just a few minutes from the singer’s childhood home. Last week, the black-clad, tattooed throngs returned after the singer died at age 76. On Wednesday, they were back for his funeral procession. Just after 1 p.m., a car carrying Osbourne’s coffin and a purple floral arrangement spelling out “Ozzy,” with a purple floral cross on its roof, traveled along Broad Street, one of Birmingham’s main thoroughfares. It was followed by other vehicles carrying Osbourne’s closest family members, including his wife, Sharon, and Jack and Kelly Osbourne, two of the couple’s three children.