Many as Freddie Mercury’s longtime female companion known as Mary Austin. Born to deaf parents in a working-class family, Mary Austin now living in London. She met Mercury in a London boutique where she was employed in 1969. Despite her initial hesitations, she started a relationship with Freddie and soon moved into his apartment.
Queen quickly rocketed to global fame, and in 1973, the same year their first album was released, Freddie asked Mary to marry him. Although their marriage never materialized, Mary remained a constant presence in Freddie’s life until his demise. Only Mary Austin knows the final resting place of Freddie Mercury’s ashes.
Mary Austin Now maintains a private life in Mercury’s One Garden Lodge property
Mary Austin rang in her 70th birthday in March 2021 in the One Garden Lodge estate, a property bequeathed to her by Freddie Mercury. This decision astounded many of Freddie’s associates.
Jim Austin, Mercury’s partner when he passed away, had expected to inherit the house. However, three months post Freddie’s death, Mary requested Jim and Freddie’s former associates, Joe Fanelli and Peter Freestone, to vacate the mansion.
Mercury had left each of them a generous 500,000 pounds, ensuring they had a place to relocate. Mary expressed her discomfort at having to evict Peter, Joe, and Jim:
“Several fans accused me of merely safeguarding the house. It stung. I am aware that a few of Freddie’s gay friends were shocked at the extent of what he’d left me. There were individuals who believed they were the rightful heirs to the property. The resentment towards me for inheriting what he’d left me was palpable.”
In addition to his mansion, Freddie also left Mary his wealth and a portion of his future royalties from Queen. Despite Mary’s suggestions of converting the property into a tribute for fans, Freddie was adamant that she should possess it.
“Under different circumstances, you would’ve been my wife, and all this would have been yours anyway,” Freddie is believed to have told her. Mary brought up her two sons, Richard and James, within the walls of this mansion.
Rare interviews granted from within the house reveal that she has kept the majority of Freddie’s original decor intact. In 2017, she faced backlash from Freddie’s fans when she had the graffiti on the mansion’s exterior removed and replaced with a notice stating that defacing the property was illegal.
A faction of Freddie’s fan base refers to Mary as merely the custodian of the property. Still, Freddie’s will clearly assigns the property to Mary for her to manage as she sees fit. At present, she leads a peaceful life with her cats within the compound. Turning the mansion into a museum seems unlikely as Freddie envisaged it as a family home.
The Relationship between Mary Austin Now and Freddie Mercury Altered Due to Mercury’s Bisexuality
After six years into their relationship, Mary started having doubts about Freddie, suspecting him of infidelity. When faced with her threat to leave, Freddie changed his behavior but soon after, revealed to Mary that he was bisexual.
Mary distinctly remembers this revelation, as she shared with The Daily Mail, stating, “I distinctly told him, ‘Freddie, I don’t think you’re bisexual. You’re probably gay.'” This confession from Freddie resulted in the termination of their engagement and their romantic relationship.
Despite the end of their romantic involvement, it did not spell the end of their connection. Mary continued to accompany Mercury and his band on tours. According to biographer Mark Blake’s account in Biography, she remained a vital part of Mercury’s entourage due to her enduring importance in his life.
Later, Mary married Piers Cameron, but when Freddie passed away, she felt a deep loss, akin to losing a family member. Mary expressed her sentiments, saying, “Apart from my sons, Freddie was everything. He was so unique.” Mercury himself had considered Mary his wife, saying, “Mary is my only friend. I see her as my common-law wife. Our relationship is like a marriage.”
Until his last breath, Freddie remained true to his words of eternal love for Mary. As Mary recounted to OK! Magazine, “We stuck through everything; through thick and thin, in wealth and in need, in health and in sickness.”
Overview of Mary Austin Life
Born Mary Georgina Austin on March 6, 1951, in Fulham, London, United Kingdom, she holds British citizenship. Mary’s parents, both of whom were deaf, raised her. In spite of their disability, her family maintained smooth communication through lip-reading and sign language. Her father was a professional wallpaper trimmer, while her mother worked as a domestic worker.
Unfortunately, Mary was forced to leave school at the tender age of 15 to help support her financially struggling family. She initially found work as a receptionist before transitioning to a role as a shop assistant at Biba, a swanky department store. This job broadened her social interactions and was where she first crossed paths with Freddie Mercury.
The Beginning of Mary Austin and Freddie Mercury’s Relationship
The paths of Mary Austin and Freddie Mercury first intersected in 1969, a mere five years after Freddie had migrated to England. He was a 24-year-old recent college graduate, while Mary was a 19-year-old shy school dropout employed at a boutique in West London.
Their love story is truly unique. They became a couple almost instantly after meeting and were practically inseparable. Their relationship lasted a solid six years as they lived together in an apartment near Kensington market, in close vicinity to Freddie’s clothing stall and Queen drummer Roger Tay.
What Led to the Breakup Between Mary and Freddie Mercury?
Mary Austin was a significant influence on Freddie Mercury’s musical career, serving as his muse and the inspiration behind several of his songs, including “Love of My Life”. In 1973, following the release of his first album, Freddie proposed to Mary. Despite their mutual affection, they never married. After Mary confronted Freddie about his unfaithfulness, their romantic relationship officially ended when Freddie revealed his homosexuality.
Even after their separation, the bond between them remained unbroken, with Freddie and Mary maintaining a strong friendship until Freddie’s death. Mary continued to support Freddie’s band as a member of the entourage, despite marrying Piers Cameron. She admitted that Freddie’s death was like losing a family member, highlighting the depth of their connection.
Did Mary and Freddie Mercury Have Children Together?
Regardless of the complexities of their relationship, Mary Austin now and Freddie made a remarkable pair. However, they did not have children together. Mary had two sons, Richard and Jamie, with her husband, Piers Cameron. The Godfather to Mary’s children was none other than Freddie himself. While Mary’s lineage is known, it remains uncertain if Freddie Mercury fathered any children.
