![]() ![]() ‘From the outset, we had a responsibility to all those who loved Freddie to do his collection justice, and we have been overwhelmed by the support we have received and all that we have together uncovered about Freddie as a collector along the way.’ ‘I have almost lost count of the number of auctions I have presided over from this rostrum, but I know for certain that I will never forget brining the hammer down tonight – nor will I forget the electric atmosphere that both imbued the auction room and that has taken over our galleries for the last month.’ĭavid Macdonald, head of single owner sales at Sotheby’s said: ‘Many months ago now, I first stepped into Garden Lodge, unchanged from when Freddie Mercury lived there, and in that moment I knew that this would be an adventure like no other. Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby’s said after the auction: ‘It has been a once in a lifetime privilege for all of us at Sotheby’s to celebrate the legend that is Freddie Mercury. Speaking about the sale of the piano, Gabriel Heaton, a specialist at the auction house, said: ‘Of all the objects that he had, this is the one that meant the most to him.’ Photos from Freddie’s private album will also be up for sale (Picture: Sotheby’s) ![]() However the sale by Mary Austin, has caused a rift between other members of the iconic group, with Brian May saying he is ‘too sad’ to watch the prized items being sold off.Īhead of the auction, titled Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own, Brian took to Instagram to share a picture of his late bandmate playing his guitar alongside a heartfelt statement. More than 130,056 guests have visited the London exhibition to see the collection – with the huge numbers exceeding expectations. The sale follows a month-long exhibition, called Freddie Mercury ‘A World of his Own’, featuring the never-before-seen private collection of over 1,400 of the star’s personal possessions. ‘He would have loved this auction, it’s a bit of drama and a bit camp, exactly what he would have wanted.’ ‘It has given me a deeper understanding of Freddie so I can go back to what I do everyday and do it with a greater knowledge of the great man. Some of the items up for sale were personal gifts between Freddie and Elton John and the proceeds will go to charity (Picture: Shutterstock) The total surpassed the amount George Michael paid for John Lennon’s Steinway Model Z upright, sold at the Hard Rock Cafe in London in 2000 for £1.45m.įreddie Superfan, Rafael Reisman, CEO of Blast Entertaiment based in Brazil spent over a million pounds on five items at the sale, including Freddie’s iconic cloak and crown ensemble. ![]() The historic keys that Freddie wrote Bohemian Rhapsody, Don’t Stop Me Now and Somebody to Love on sold for a record-breaking £1.742m, making it the most expensive piano sold in the UK ever. ![]() The item all the Queen fans had been waiting for was Freddie’s Baby Grand Yamaha piano, which was auctioned without reserve. The piece of history was a favourite amongst bidders, before eventually selling for £1.4m. The first expensive sale of the first evening was an early draft of the lyrics of Queen’s biggest hit Bohemian Rhapsody.Īccording to the note written on the now defunct ‘British Midland Airways’ sheet, Freddie planned to originally call the song ‘Mongolian Rhapsody.’ There were whoops from the crowd of Queen fans as the bracelet finally sold for £698,000, smashing the previous record for the most expensive piece of rockstar jewellery.įreddie’s treasured Baby Grand that could go for millions tonight (Picture: Getty) The elegant silver bracelet was among the most sought-after items of the auction, with bids coming both online and on the phone at Sotheby’s. The frontman accessorised his ‘Mercury Wing’ ivory satin catsuit, worn in the video, with the Victorian-style bangle. The room reached a fever pitch as the Tissot painting ‘Portrait of Mrs Kathleen Newton’ sold for £412,000, but one of the highlights of the evening was a silver snake bangle worn by Freddie in the Bohemian Rhapsody video. The first 12 lots in the auction sold for just over £1.7m, with a great variety of items from across the globe. The wooden door covered in messages from fans has been transformed into a piece of art over the years, and was listed in the catalogue as a high bid of £25,000.īut the hammer went down on the first item in the sale for £325,000 and there was a huge round of applause from the crowd, after a 15-minute bidding war. Sotheby’s clapped together as the auction for the rock icon got underway with fans and suited and booted bidders singing along to ‘We Will Rock You’.Īuctioneer Oliver Barker started the bidding with the sale of the legendary Garden Lodge door of Freddie’s Kensington home. A gold Cartier brooch with the words ‘Queen Number 1’ hoped to bring up to £6,000 (Picture: Getty) ![]()
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