Located in the Kensington neighborhood of London, Garden Lodge is a Georgian-style residence where Freddie Mercury , lead singer of the band Queen , lived until his death in 1991.
The house is being auctioned off by heiress Mary Austin , the singer's ex-girlfriend, with a starting price of 35 million euros, approximately 189.5 million reais.
For privacy reasons, the real estate agency responsible, Knight Frank, has published few photos of the mansion online, and it can only be visited by interested parties who can prove they have sufficient funds to purchase it. This measure was taken to prevent fans and curious onlookers from posing as buyers.
The property was purchased by Freddie in 1980 and decorated with the help of architect Robin Moore Ede . It has eight bedrooms, a Japanese-themed living room, bar, library, three more rooms, a suite, and a Japanese-style garden.
Mary Austin's legacy
Freddie and Mary were in a romantic relationship for six years, and even after their breakup, they remained friends. The singer even stated that Austin would have been the woman he would have married, and everything would have belonged to her anyway.
In an interview with Bloomberg , Mary stated: “Actually, the house was always mine in name only. I worked on the house with him and for him, and it will always be his. It was his dream, it was his vision.”
Now 72 years old and seeing her children already established in life, she has made the decision that it is time to sell the house. With most of the inherited assets to be auctioned off in 2023, Mary hopes that whoever buys the house will not destroy it.
“The last thing we want is for someone to say, ‘Yes, I’m going to buy it,’ exploit it, and demolish it. This is unique and has its beauty, and I know it has a purpose for someone – it did for Freddie.”
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