After over three decades of holding onto Mercury’s possessions, his dear friend Mary Austin has finally made the “difficult decision” to sell the contents of his estate.
When he passed away in 1991, he left his Kensington home and everything in it to his friend Mary Austin. Since then, she says she has kept it mostly the way Mercury left it. Everyone knows Freddie Mercury to have lived a bold and extravagant life filled with “exquisite clutter.” He certainly achieved the goal of “exquisite clutter” through his collection of costumes, art, and handwritten lyrics to some of Queen’s most popular songs.
Nine pages of lyrics to “We are the Champions” handwritten by Mercury will be up for auction and are expected to bring in anywhere between $250,000-$375,000. The crown that he famously wore after Queen’s final concert together in 1986 will also be available at the auction. Allegedly the crown is based on St. Edward’s Crown but is not an entirely authentic piece, so it is estimated between $75,000 and $100,000. The smallest item announced to be auctioned is Mercury’s silver mustache comb. The Tiffany & Co. comb is expected to go for between $500- $750, the lowest estimate we’ve seen so far.
At the top of the price points include Mercury’s art collection. There are numerous prints and paintings, some by Picasso and Matisse. The highest priced item so far is a James Tissot painting, “Type of Beauty.” This painting, by French artist James Tissot, is of Kathleen Newton, Tissot’s Irish lover & muse. This art piece is set to sell for anywhere between $500,000 and $750,000.
The auction is set to begin in September of this year and will occur over 3 days with a portion of the money collected being donated to charity.