Freddie Mercury’s ex has failed to sell his mansion after two years — in the latest twist to her feud with his sister.
The Queen singer left eight-bedroom Garden Lodge to his former girlfriend Mary Austin after his death aged 45 in 1991.
She put the home in Kensington, West London, up for sale for £30 million ($A58.4 million) in February 2024.
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Freddie Mercury’s ex has failed to sell his London mansion – nearly two years after putting it on the market for £30 million. Picture: Getty
Freddie left eight-bedroom Garden Lodge to his former girlfriend Mary Austin after his death aged 45 in 1991. Picture: Barney Hindle/The Post/Getty Images
But the fact no buyer has yet been found is likely to please Freddie’s sister Kashmira Bulsara.
“She was upset at the thought of any of Freddie’s things being made available for sale to the public, especially Garden Lodge,” a source told the The Sun.
Last year, Kashmira had spent £3 million ($A6.2 million) buying items of Freddie’s that had been put up for auction by Mary, 74, because she believed they should stay in the family.
Kashmira was said to be devastated to see the music legend ‘s belongings being flogged by Mary and was prepared to pay over the odds to keep them in the family.
Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin. Picture: The Post/Getty Images
Freddie, born Farrokh Bulsara, hosted legendary parties at Garden Lodge – including his famous Silly Hat Party for his 40th birthday in 1986.
The sprawling property is where Freddie died of Aids-related bronchial pneumonia.
Potential buyers must provide proof of funds before they can even view the property.
Freddie was engaged to Mary until 1976, when he came out as gay to her – but they remained close friends until his death, with Mary caring for him during his illness.
He wrote Queen’s 1975 song Love Of My Life as a tribute to her.
The sprawling property is where Freddie died of Aids-related bronchial pneumonia. Picture: Barney Hindle/The Post
Just months before his death, Freddie signed a will that gave Mary half of his estimated £10 million ($A20 million) fortune and his 28-bedroom Kensington mansion, filled with valuable art and Louis XV furniture.
Terrified to accept this burden, she initially urged him to let it become a museum.
Meanwhile, his parents and his sister both received a 25 per cent share.
There was also financial pressure, as it took eight years for her to receive the bulk of what she had been left in his will.
“It was the loneliest and most difficult time of my life after Freddie died,” she later recalled.
“I found myself thinking, ‘Oh Freddie, you’ve left me too much and too much to deal with as well.’ I felt I couldn’t live up to it.”
Nor did his former bandmates jump to take her under their wing – reportedly jealous that she had inherited so much – though they have met since.
“I don’t think the remaining members of Queen have ever reconciled themselves to it,” she said in a 2013 interview.
“I don’t understand it. I never hear from them. After Freddie died, they just wandered off.”
Nonetheless, Mary is still able to enjoy the dividends of her relationship with Freddie – receiving royalties from the success of the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and the sale of Queen’s back catalogue to Sony.
British rock band Queen (left-right) Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. Picture: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
Mary was also entrusted with his ashes – and instructed never to reveal where they would eventually be placed, which would create further rifts with Freddie’s family.
For two years, they sat in a plastic bag inside the urn, before she slipped out of the mansion without her driver to bury them.
Despite rife speculation among fans that they had been buried in a West London cemetery, or under a cherry tree in his mansion’s garden, Mary has remained loyal to his wishes and never revealed his final resting place.
In 2023, she sold 1,406 items he had left her for £40 million ($A80 million) at auction.
Parts of this story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.
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