Freddie Mercury's Family At War! Star’s Sister Secretly Spent $4m on Queen Memorabilia Put Up For Auction by His Ex Who Hoped To Cash In On Dead Frontman’s Fame
Freddie Mercury's family have fallen out over his belongings after his former partner put prized items up for sale against their wishes.
April 23 2025, Published 11:20 a.m. ET
Freddie Mercury's sister secretly splashed out $4million on Queen memorabilia after the late frontman's ex put them up for auction against the family's wishes.
RadarOnline.can reveal the bust-up over the singer's legacy was sparked by Mary Austin, his former fiancée, who he left $50m in his will.
Several of the late Queen frontman's items were purchased in secret by his sister.
To raise some extra cash, she flogged some of Mercury's treasured items at an auction, which left his sister Kashmira Bulsara devastated.
So in order to keep his belongings in the family, she successfully bid for them at London auction house Sotheby's alongside her son, anonymously, knowing Austin would be unlikely to sell directly to them.
And she was willing to pay over the odds, should she need to.
The iconic singer left his former fiancée Mary Austin $50million in his will.
A source said: "Kashmira was angry and upset to see so many of her beloved brother's possessions become available for anyone to buy.
"So she went for a private viewing, anonymously, with Jamal and her PA before the auction to see which bits she wanted to try to get.
"Then when it came to auction time, Kashmira's PA went in person to Sotheby’s and was on the phone to Kashmira throughout.
"Kashmira watched online and told her PA how much to bid for each item.
"They had set aside a huge budget, so they were actually very happy with the final figure laid out, despite paying well over the estimated price for each one.
"Of course, Kashmira appreciates how adored Freddie was across the world, but she was saddened to think of some of his sentimental belongings not being with his loved ones."
Items including Mercury's classic $540,000 jukebox was purchased by his sister.
Purchases made by Bulsara, 73, included a Wurlitzer Model 850 jukebox for $540,000, and a waistcoat with portraits of Mercury's six cats on it, which went for $185,000.
He had worn it in the music video for Queen’s These Are The Days Of Our Lives — filmed six months before his AIDS-related death in 1991, aged 45.
A military-style jacket made for Mercury's 39th birthday was Bulsara's most expensive purchase, at $608,000.
She also bought eight pages of draft lyrics of Queen’s 1974 hit Killer Queen for $372,000.
A Daum Persimmons vase, which had been converted into a lamp with a tasseled shade made by Mercury, sold for $30,000 and a Nike sweatshirt went for $54,000.
Austin sold 1,406 lots for a total of $53million in 2023, saying: "I need to put my affairs in order."
Mercury passed away in 1991 after Austin cared for him during his illness.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Austin donated some of the proceeds to the Mercury Phoenix Trust — an AIDS charity set up by Mercury's Queen bandmates and their manager, Jim Beach — and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
She had said: "The time has come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life.
"I decided that it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to keep things back. If I was going to sell, I had to be brave and sell the lot."
Mercury had dated Austin from 1969 until the late 1970s, and the couple were engaged for a time.
Their relationship ended after the iconic frontman eventually came out to her as gay, but they remained close friends until his death — she even cared for him during his illness.
