Mary Austin, Freddie Mercury's former fiancée and lifelong confidante, has spoken out about the Queen frontman's private struggles, including the moment he revealed his HIV diagnosis to her in the spring of 1987. The pair kept the news private, knowing that performing would soon become impossible, with Freddie telling Mary "how physically painful it was becoming."
A love story that began in Soho
Mary first met Freddie Mercury when Queen didn't even have a name, describing a young man with a 'halo' of thick brown hair who spoke with confidence and conviction. Within a few years, Freddie had gone from being a young graduate asking Biba receptionist Mary on a first date in Soho, and months later inviting her to move into a £5-a-week flat with him, to becoming the frontman of one of the biggest bands in rock history.
Born Farrokh Bulsara, Freddie, together with his Queen bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor, produced some of the most enduring songs in music history, with timeless hits including Bohemian Rhapsody and We Are the Champions. But behind the flamboyant stage persona was a complicated private life, with Freddie struggling with his sexuality and, later, a devastating HIV diagnosis.
"The only friend I've got is Mary"
Throughout it all, Mary remained one of the most important people in his life, standing by him until his death in 1991, aged 45. Praising Mary, Freddie once said: "All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary, 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."
The couple were so close that the singer asked her to marry him, and he also left Mary half of his £75 million estate, including the keys to his £25 million Georgian mansion in Kensington, in his will.
The Christmas Day proposal
Speaking about the moment he proposed on Christmas Day in 1973, after being introduced to Freddie by Queen guitarist Brian May, she told The Times: "Freddie handed me a large square box. When I tore away the paper, there was another box inside. It was so like him. I opened the second box and found another, then another. Finally, I reached a small jewellery box with a silver ring inside."
Revealing the charismatic singer "looked as nervous as I'd ever known him" before popping the question, Mary continued: "We hadn't talked about marriage. Even so, I didn't need to think. 'Yes,' I said. 'I will.' I was 22; he, 27."
Cracks begin to show
Despite their romantic engagement, Mary said cracks began to show and she could tell Freddie was "struggling" with an internal conflict. "Emotionally, he was sincere with me, but physically he was moving somewhere else." Claiming she believes his song Lily of the Valley was written about her, she cited the lyrics: 'I lie in wait with open eyes, I carry on through stormy skies …But the Lily of the Valley doesn't know', explaining: "I didn't find out for some time what the Lily of the Valley didn't know. There was so much change happening around us, uncertainty felt almost normal."
In early 1977 Freddie told Mary he was bisexual, to which she replied: "No, you're gay." Insisting she didn't mean to hurt him with her response she says: "He didn't reply to that. It wasn't said to wound him, nor to deny him anything, just that I knew immediately what his proclamation meant for me."
A lifelong bond
Mary went on to have two sons with the painter Piers Cameron, who she separated from in 1991. She says she did think about distancing herself from Freddie entirely after their split and was offered a job at CBS Records in London. However, she decided to turn it down and continued to work as the star's PA. Their relationship evolved, with Mary revealing Freddie even introduced her to his boyfriends. "It still hurt, but things were better", she said.
As Queen's fame continued to rise with sold-out shows and Number One hits, Freddie was battling a private hell. On the outside, his band reached a career high with their show-stealing performance at Live Aid followed by a run of stadium shows across Europe, culminating in a concert at Knebworth in 1986 in front of 120,000 fans. It would become Freddie's final performance with Queen.
Five years after his HIV diagnosis, Freddie died, leaving the world - and Mary - in mourning. Freddie never forgot his "wife", leaving her a piece of his world forever. "He left me his cherished home. His sanctuary became mine," Mary said.
This year, Freddie would have celebrated his 80th birthday on September 5. To mark the milestone, Mary has worked with the V&A to launch a free temporary trail, Freddie Mercury: Splendid Things, showcasing costumes and accessories from throughout his extraordinary career. The collection takes its name from a quote the flamboyant frontman gave in 1978: "I like to be surrounded by splendid things. I want to lead a Victorian life surrounded by exquisite clutter."
