Freddie Mercury's Longtime Best Friend To Sell The Iconic London Mansion Where He Died

Highlights

Mary Austin, Freddie Mercury's closest friend, is selling Garden Lodge, the iconic house he left her, closing this chapter of her life with him.
Freddie Mercury fell in love with Garden Lodge at first sight, making it a peaceful place filled with love and warm memories.
The sale of the mansion reflects the end of an era for those who knew and loved Freddie Mercury.

It's hard to believe it's been over 30 years since Freddie Mercury passed away. The iconic frontman of Queen changed music forever, not only with his incredible talent but with his ability to push boundaries, break the rules, and live his truth unapologetically. When he passed away, he left most of his earthly possessions to Mary Austin, his closest friend.

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Freddie Mercury was one of the most legendary rockstars the world has ever seen.

The two of them shared an extraordinary relationship, which started romantically and gradually turned into a life-long friendship, and she was the person he trusted the most. It makes sense, then, that she was the one to inherit his favorite house, Garden Lodge, a neo-Georgian, impressive mansion in Kensington, London. After years of keeping it and loving it, Mary Austin has decided to finally put it for sale.

Freddie Mercury's Garden Lodge Is Officially For Sale

Freddie Mercury's house in London, where he lived the last decade of his life and where he died surrounded by the people who loved him in 1991, is now for sale. The iconic Garden Lodge was one of Freddie's favorite places on Earth, his friends say, and when he died he left it to Mary Austin, his closest friend and the person he considered "the love of his life."

She held on to the beautiful house for decades, and even lived there for years, but now she's ready to let it go. She spent decades by Freddie Mercury's side, as his girlfriend for a few years, and as his best friend for the rest of his life. The memories, at a certain point, seem to have gotten too intense, and she methodically emptied the house, selling, moving, or giving away the singer's things.

"This house has been the most glorious memory box, because it has such love and warmth in every room," Mary Austin said in a statement. "It has been a joy to live in and I have many wonderful memories here. Now that it is empty, I’m transported back to the first time we viewed it."

As hard as it will be to get rid of it, she knows it will be the perfect home for whoever gets to live there next. "Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist's house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person."

What Freddie Mercury Said About His Famous Garden Lodge

Apparently, Freddie Mercury shared Mary Austin's appreciation of the beautiful house he ended up buying. It was love at first sight. "I saw the house, fell in love with it, and within a half an hour it was mine," a Freddie Mercury biography shared.

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The former Queen frontman led a very secret love life, so fans wonder if he actually took care of his partner after he died.

The singer was a known lover of the finer things in life. He adored ballet, modern art, and opera, and the way his house was decorated certainly reflected that. He collected expensive artwork and various one-of-a-kind items, some of which have already been sold, as Mary Austin explained, and the house was the perfect reflection of his personality.

The sale of the house will certainly be a bittersweet process for everyone who knew and loved the iconic singer, including his Queen bandmates, but it's healthy for Mary Austin to close this chapter of her life with him.