Mary Austin Reflects on Challenges of Inheriting Freddie Mercury’s Estate

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Mary Austin has shared her experiences managing the significant portion of Freddie Mercury’s estate left to her, including living in his Kensington home and enforcing the terms of his will, which affected Mercury’s former partner Jim Hutton. Her comments reveal the emotional and legal challenges involved in honoring Mercury’s wishes, such as keeping the location of his ashes secret despite family tensions.

Mary Austin, the longtime friend and former fiancée of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, has spoken publicly about the complexities she faced after inheriting half of the late singer’s estate. Mercury, who died in 1991 from bronchial pneumonia related to AIDS, bequeathed approximately 50 percent of his estate—then estimated to be worth between £20 million and £30 million—to Austin.

Austin, now 80, reflected on the challenges of managing the substantial inheritance and fulfilling Mercury’s wishes. She recalled initially refusing to live in Mercury’s Kensington home, Garden Lodge, which he had left to her in his will. “I said, ‘I don’t want the house, I’ve worked hard for you to live in this,’” she said. However, Mercury reportedly responded, “If everything had gone to plan you would have been my wife, and this would have been rightly yours.” Ultimately, Austin took up residence there.

The move sparked difficulties, notably for Mercury’s partner at the time of his death, Jim Hutton. Despite claims that Mercury had told Hutton he could remain in the property, the executors of the will required him to vacate within three months. Hutton was left £500,000 from Mercury’s estate but was forced to leave Garden Lodge, a situation Austin emphasized was not her decision but one dictated by the will’s executors.

When questioned about the motivations behind Mercury’s decision to leave her such a large portion of his estate, Austin expressed uncertainty. She suggested the reasoning was complex, saying, “Could be [guilt], but I think not. If you put your thinking cap on, you’ll get there,” without elaborating further.

Austin also disclosed that she has honored Mercury’s wishes by keeping the location of his ashes private. She acknowledged that this secrecy has caused some distress among Mercury’s family, including his parents and sister, but stated that maintaining their privacy was part of the responsibility Mercury entrusted to her. “I kept saying to them, ‘I’m really, really sorry – I can’t tell you,’” she explained, noting that Mercury’s mother ultimately accepted this decision.

Austin’s reflections provide new insight into the personal and legal complexities surrounding the inheritance she received from Mercury and the ongoing effort to respect the late singer’s final wishes.

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