Freddie Mercury’s stage crown and cloak, sold at auction for an amazing GBP 500,000, are to go on show again, their new owner has revealed.
The Queen star’s crown and cape, used in the band’s Magic Tour in 1986, went for 10 times their original estimate in the Sotheby’s auction on 6th September.
They were bought by superfan Brazilian businessman Rafael Reisman who flew to London for the sale.
It emerged that Freddie was so keen to look like a real-life queen he ordered jewellers to copy the Royal Family’s St Edward Crown.
The real thing was last seen during Charles III’s coronation but it dates back to 1661 and Charles II.
Sotheby’s revealed in a statement obtained by CEN: “Freddie wanted the crown and cape to look as authentic as possible, hence the design of the crown is modelled on the coronation crown of St. Edward, and the cloak inspired by the Emperor Napoleon’s coronation robes.
“The gold bullion trim came from London firm Hand and Locke who supply hand-embroidery to the Royal Family.”
New owner Reisman told Brazilian media: “At the auction launch cocktail, I had the opportunity to speak with Mary Austin. “
Austin was Freddie’s girlfriend who stayed by his side until his last moments of life and inherited the vast bulk of his multi-million pound estate.
Reisman added: “And I asked her, very quietly, what is her favourite piece? And she pointed to the pink suit.”
The suit was specially made for Freddie and worn in the video for Queen’s 1987 clip for ‘The Great Pretender’.
Reisman revealed that he intends to hold travelling exhibitions of the collection he won at the auction so that many other fans can also see them up close.
Queen guitarist Brian May has said he wanted a museum to be created for Mercury’s entire collection so that the star’s treasures would stay together.
But Auction curator Sarah Hodgson said: “He didn’t want to have any kind of memorial in that sense, like a museum.
“These objects were bought by all kinds of people: fans, institutions… I’m sure he would love them.”
Some 1,500 items were auctioned off, including musical instruments, works of art, furniture, clothes and even a silver comb that the singer used to comb his moustache.
The collection of Mercury’s objects was divided into six auctions: three in person in London and three more online.
Freddie Mercury’s Yamaha baby grand piano, on which he composed some of the band’s most iconic songs, sold for GBP 1.74 million at the auction.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Central European News
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