The Private Estate Of Former Queen Singer, Freddie Mercury, Went Up For Auction
Prestigious London auction house Sotheby’s exhibited a large collection of personal effects from former Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who passed away in 1991 from AIDS. With the auction now complete, fans of the rock star get to discover what treasures were held behind the closed doors of his Kensington mansion and how much it all sold for.
Ready! Freddie! Go!
For over 30 years, Mercury’s estate remained sealed off to the public, kept pristine under the protective eye of his bestie Mary Austin. Now advanced in years, Mary and her sons decided the time was right to sell off everything – absolutely everything! – from Freddie’s former residence.
Sotheby’s held auctions on Wednesday, September 6 with items ranging from stage costumes to an autographed draft manuscript for Bohemian Rhapsody. Sales of the estate will continue throughout September.
The grand piano on which he wrote Bohemian Rhapsody was expected to go for upwards of AUD5 million, but ended up auctioning for just over AUD3.3 million, still setting a record for a composer’s piano. While there was a plethora of expensive furniture items, one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces (including his bijoux silver moustache comb) and coveted artworks selling with exorbitant price tags, many of the smaller items surprised Sotheby’s organisers. A figure provided from the auction house on September 7 reveals that 93% of lots were sold for over their estimate.
Sotheby’s has also offered private, and general viewings, of the collection as an exhibition – entitled Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own – prior to the auctions. It’s so extensive and diverse it was divided into 16 areas/categories including costumes, kimonos, a working jukebox and “crazy little things”. Some of the highlights are a huge collection of his stage outfits wore by mannequins resembling Freddie, handlebar moustache and all!
The vast section of Polaroids and personal photos – which exposes much more of his private gay life that the public has never been privy to before – is arguably the most exciting for a queer audience, although there is truly something here for every taste, every budget and every Queen fan as well.
Although the sale and exhibition offered a riveting opportunity for keen fans, not every party was pleased with the choice to bring Freddie’s estate under auction. Queen’s guitarist Brian May expressed his displeasure and says: “Tomorrow … Freddie’s most intimate personal effects, and writings that were part of what we shared for so many years, will go under the hammer, to be knocked down to the highest bidder and dispersed for ever. I can’t look. To us, his closest friends and family, it’s too sad.”
Whether in support of the auction or not, one thing is for certain: Freddie Mercury left a lasting impression that continues to resonate with millions of his fans.
