A collection of never-before-seen personal possessions from the London home of Freddie Mercury, the British singer-songwriter of Indian Parsi descent, will go on a world tour-cum-exhibition followed by six auctions, Sotheby’s auction house announced in London on Wednesday.
Mercury, who was born Farrokh Bulsara and spent his childhood in India, where he went to boarding school at Panchgani, lived much of his adult life at Garden Lodge in Kensington, west London.
One of the highlight lots of the upcoming auction includes Mercury’s crown – a replica of the St. Edward’s Crown to be worn by King Charles III in the forthcoming Coronation on May 6 – which will go on display in Sotheby’s New Bond Street windows in London from Wednesday.
The flamboyant lead vocalist of the band Queen, who died aged 45, was an avid collector, and his cherished London home was preserved almost as it was by his closest friend and ex-girlfriend Mary Austin since his death over 30 years ago.
“For many years now, I have had the joy and privilege of living surrounded by all the wonderful things that Freddie sought out and so loved; but the years have passed, and the time has come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life,” said Austin, who plans to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.