Freddie Mercury's London Home Listed for 50 Billion Won by Ex-Partner

My Ex and Friend Who Inherited Property Is Putting It Up for Sale

The legendary rock band Queen's Freddie Mercury's house in London, England, has been put on the market.

Legendary rock band Queen's Freddie Mercury.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the 27th (local time), foreign media such as The Times and Sky News reported that the two-story house "Garden Lodge" in the affluent Kensington area of West London, where Freddie Mercury lived until the end, was listed for 30 million pounds (about 50.6 billion KRW). This house, which Mercury called a "countryside home in central London," was built in 1907. It features a living room with a piano, a bar, eight bedrooms, and a garden inspired by Japan. The real estate agency Knight Frank does not promote the house on online sites and does not disclose detailed information such as the interior layout or area. They also plan to show the house only after verifying the purchasing ability to prevent crowds of fans from gathering.

The appearance of 'Garden Lodge,' the London house where Freddie Mercury lived. [Image source=Knight Frank]

Mercury purchased this house in 1980 and lived there until he passed away from AIDS complications in 1991. He left it as an inheritance to his ex-lover and friend Mary Austin (72). Austin moved into the house and lived there with her family, and after her children grew up and left, she lived alone. In an interview with foreign media, she said, "It was in my name, but it was Freddie's. It was his dream and vision," and explained the reason for selling, "I think it's time for me to move on to a new chapter in life."

The dining room of the house where Freddie Mercury lived. It is decorated in his favorite colors.
[Image source=Knight Frank]

In a six-day auction held at Sotheby's London last September, Austin sold 1,500 items from the house, earning about 39 million pounds (approximately 65.85 billion KRW). These included the grand piano Mercury used to compose "Bohemian Rhapsody," the sheet music for "Bohemian Rhapsody" titled "Mongolian Rhapsody," and a Cartier onyx diamond ring gifted by Elton John. The green garden gate covered with fans' memorial messages was sold at auction for 412,000 pounds (about 695 million KRW). Austin donated part of the proceeds to AIDS-related organizations established by Queen's surviving members, such as the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.