Mary Austin’s decision, ex -girlfriend and heiress of Freddie Mercury, to auction more than a thousand personal articles of Queen’s iconic singer caused a strong discomfort in the artist’s family environment, particularly in her sister, Kashmira Bulsara.
According to the British newspaper ‘The Sun’, Bulsara disbursed 3 million sterling pounds from his own money to recover some of his brother’s most precious belongings.
Freddie Mercury maintained a relationship with Mary Austin from 1969 to the end of the 70s.That the romance ended, both retained a close relationship.
She accompanied him during his illness and was designated as the main beneficiary of his inheritance. The singer even dedicated the song ‘Love of My Life’, considered one of the most emotional themes of Queen’s repertoire.
Freddie Mercury died on November 24, 1991, at the age of 45. Photo:YouTube: Queen Official
The gesture that unleashed the controversy
In 2023, Austin organized an auction through Sotheby’s with more than 1,400 objects of the musician. The sale raised more than 40 million pounds sterling. As reported, much of what was obtained was allocated to beneficial organizations linked to the fight against HIV, including Mercury Phoenix Trust, founded by Mercury bandmavers, and Elton John Aids Foundation.
However, this action was not well received by Kashmira Bulsara, who was deeply affected. According to ‘The Sun’, “Kashmira felt furious and disgusted to see that so many belongings of her beloved brother were available for anyone to buy them. So, before the auction, he went to a private, anonymous visit, with (his son) Jamal and his assistant, to see what articles he wanted to try and get. ”
Mary Austin was the great love and Freddie Mercury’s great friend. I wanted to age with her. Photo:Private archive.
-A strategy to recover family memories
During the bid, Bulara’s assistant appeared personally at the auction house and maintained constant communication with her by phone. The singer’s sister followed the event online and gave precise instructions on how much to offer for each object. With a broad budget, they managed to acquire several important pieces, although at a value higher than the initially estimated.
“Kashmira obviously understands how much they loved Freddie worldwide, but he was sad to think that some of his most precious possessions were not with his loved ones,” said the British media.
Among the articles he recovered are a record machine, a vest decorated with portraits of the six cats of Freddie, a military coat, eight pages with handwritten letters of ‘Killer Queen’, a vase transformed into a lamp and a shirt.
Austin justified his decision to sell
When he announced the auction, Mary Austin explained that it was a necessary measure: “It was time to make the difficult decision to close this special chapter of my life.”
However, the gesture was not well received by the singer’s family. Until now, Kashmira Bulsara has not made public statements on the matter, while Sotheby’s just pointed out that she does not comment on the identities or investments of her clients.
The Globe (Brazil) / GDA.
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from O Globo (GDA), and had the review of a journalist and an editor.
