Freddie Mercury’s old grand piano in which he wrote some of Queen’s biggest hits has been sold at an auction for £1.7 million.
The final sale was reportedly slightly below estimates but auctioneers Sotheby’s have said that it is a record for a piano.
The item was amongst thousands of Mercury’s former possessions that were auctioned on Wednesday after being held on display for several weeks.
Further items were sold at the auction including the door to Mercury’s Garden Lodge West London, home which went for a whopping £412,750, way under the projected estimation of £15,000-25,000.
Furthermore, a 15-page original manuscript for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, originally titled ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’ was sold £1.3 million. The manuscript reveals different versions and directions that Mercury experimented with whilst writing the song. Similar notes are also still available for massive hits like ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ and ‘Somebody To Love’.
Mercury also had an extensive art collection including pieces from big name artists like Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, all of which are going under the hammer in upcoming live auctions.
Personal items from Mercury’s wardrobe were sold including his trademark flamboyant costumes worn for concerts; also sold was his designer crown and cloak as well as a vast variety of kimonos.
A total of 1,469 items from his Garden Lodge home are up for sale by Mary Austen, a former fiancé and friend of the Queen frontman.
Freddy Mercury’s former band mate and Queen guitarist took to Instagram to share the emotional difficulties he had with the auction, he said: “Tomorrow … Freddie’s most intimate personal effects, and writings that were part of what we shared for so many years, will go under the hammer, to be knocked down to the highest bidder and dispersed for ever. I can’t look. To us, his closest friends and family, it’s too sad.”
The first night of the #TheWorldofFreddieMercury auction series saw bidders from 61 countries drive 93% of lots over their estimate, with Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics and Freddie’s Yamaha piano leading the sale.
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— Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) September 6, 2023
At the start of the auction, auctioneer Oliver Barker had this to say: “What we’ve witnessed here at Sotheby’s these last few weeks is nothing short of phenomenal. It has captured the hearts and minds of the public all over the world. By the time the doors closed yesterday, on this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, we welcomed 140,000 visitors.”
The auction house, Soethby’s, hosted a month-long free open exhibition prior to the auction. The whole auction sale itself is estimated to bring in at least £6 million. Part of the proceeds for the sale will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and The Elton John Aids Foundation.
