'I saw Freddie Mercury's belongings before auction and they should've gone to his family'

It was recently reported that 's sister was in order to keep them in the family. I was incredibly surprised by this as I would have expected his ex-lover Mary Austin, who was putting his wares on sale, would have consulted with his nearest and dearest and let them select at least a few pieces. I went to the auction preview on September 2, 2023 and was surprised by the brutality and finality of it all. Having seen what was on offer I believe she should have given his family at least a few items.

Interest was huge with over 140,000 visiting to see what was on offer during the month-long exhibition that preceded the auction. This was a record-breaking number of attendees for Sotheby's but this was a very different celebrity memorabilia auction. The best way to describe it is a fire sale. While I was very excited to see Freddie's iconic stage outfits and get a glimpse inside his life what I wasn't prepared for was the "everything but the kitchen sink" aspect. The 1,469 lots going under the hammer included everyday pieces such as his day to day clothing as well as kitchenware items and even the gate from his house (more of that shortly!)

However it was the more personal items that made this sale feel somewhat grubby and had me wishing Mary had simply passed them on to family. Personal photographs and items such as Christmas cards really felt like they had no place here. Famously Freddie was very private away from his flamboyant stage persona and I could imagine his toes curling at having his personal moments exposed like this. Also, many of the items didn't feel very "auction worthy". Despite the fact they belonged to Freddie there was nothing else exceptional about them and it was clear these items would not increase in value or even keep their orignal purchase value despite buyers forking out thousands to own them.

star Thomas Forrestor agreed with this in . Admitting he had been planning to bid on "a very simple print by Patrick Proctor" which would usually sell for £400 to £600 pounds and not more than £1,000 at auction he was shocked to see the price increasing hugely.

"Because it belonged to Freddie, it was already at £1,800 pounds...In the end it went for over £10,000...That picture, with that provenance from that sale - would it still be worth that money if I put it in the cold light of day in an auction in the back of beyond of Cornwall? No, it wouldn't make the money again," he conceded. "We were all wrapped up in the excitement."

A quick glance on eBay shows people trying to resell inocuous items they purchased - such as a white t-shirt with an asking price of £3,400. A similar shirt could easily be bought for less than £20 and the only thing linking it to Freddie is the auction tag and certificate of authenticity. It is not one of his "iconic" looks and definitely not the kind of item you usually find at a celebrity auction.

Indeed, usually when someone dies their day to day clothing is given to charity shops or dispersed among family. I find the fact Mary held on to it for over 30 years strange but I find it even stranger she wouldn't ask his family if they would like to take some of these items, which would surely hold sentimental value for them as they would have been among the few to see him in these clothes.

As I worked my way through the exhibition it was apparent this was of no public interest other than to make a quick buck. This became most obvious when I came upon the former gate from Freddie's home Garden Lodge. For decades following his death this was a place for fans to pay pilgrimage and many wrote heartfelt messages on it - much to Mary's chagrin as seemingly neighbours complained about it.

In 2017 she removed the gate, scrubbed tributes off the wall and put anti-graffiti paint in place. A new gate was covered with plastic sheeting and signs were put up warning: "Graffiti is a crime. CCTV in operation. Private property."

Despite this Mary still obviously held on to the gate and saw fit to add it to the items for sale. The irony of selling something everyone assumed she had hated and shredded wasn't lost on fans who viewed it at Sotheby's. It was sold for £412,750 pounds in a bidding war that lasted nearly 20 minutes. To me this was the ultimate sign she was making a mockery of the fans and looking to greedily add to the already vast fortune she inhertied from the rock icon.

When Freddie entrusted his posessions to Mary he gave her autonomy to do what she wished with them. However it is unlikely such a private man envisaged vultures picking over the minuate of his life. Outside of the big ticket items like costumes and valuable artworks, which I completely understand selling, it felt very grubby and grabby to auction off basically the contents of his sock drawer. While some of the money did go to charity - specifically Elton John's AIDS foundation and the Mercury Pheonix Trust, this still amounted to a huge payday for Mary. Meanwhile Freddie's family were forced to buy back some of his posessions.

No one knows exactly what conversations Freddie had with Mary about what should ultimately happen to his belongings. She is now 74 and it is understandable she may want to get her affairs in order. But to deprive a family of precious items belonging to a loved one while equally cashing in on fans love of him by selling the gate to his home screams greed. I'm glad Kashmira managed to retrieve some of her brother's posessions but she should never have had to buy them back.