MAY 23, 1992 – A statement issued by Freddie Mercury’s attorneys revealed that the late Queen singer/songwriter had bequeathed the majority of his estate (£10 million – $17 million) to his long-time friend Mary Austin.
In the early 1970s Mercury had a long-term relationship with Austin, whom he met through guitarist Brian May, and lived with her for several years in West Kensington, London. By the mid-1970s, the singer had begun an affair with a male American record executive at Elektra Records and in December 1976, Mercury told Austin of his sexuality, which ended their romantic relationship and he moved out of the flat they shared, into 12 Stafford Terrace in Kensington and bought Austin a place of her own nearby. They remained close friends through the years, with Mercury often referring to her as his only true friend.
In a 1985 interview, Mercury said of Austin, “All my lovers asked me why they couldn’t replace Mary [Austin], but it’s simply impossible. The only friend I’ve got is Mary and I don’t want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that’s enough for me.” He also wrote several songs about Austin, including “Love of My Life”.
Mercury’s final home, Garden Lodge, 1 Logan Place, a twenty-eight room Georgian mansion in Kensington set in a quarter-acre manicured garden surrounded by a high brick wall, had been picked out by Austin. In his will, Mercury left his London home and the vast majority of his wealth, including his recording royalties, to Austin rather than his partner Jim Hutton, saying to her, “You would have been my wife and it would have been yours anyway.” Mercury was also the godfather of Mary’s oldest son, Richard.
Mercury left £500,000 to his chef, Joe Fanelli; £500,000 to his personal assistant, Peter Freestone; £100,000 to his driver, Terry Gidding; £500,000 to Jim Hutton, and the remainder to his parents and sister. Austin continues to live at Mercury’s former home, Garden Lodge, Kensington, with her family and has continually abided by Mercury’s wishes by keeping the location of his ashes a secret.
