Freddie Mercury’s Ex-Fiancée: Who Was Mary Austin?

In the glittering dawn of his rise to stardom, the legendary icon fell for a woman he'd come to call the love of his life — and when his final curtain fell, he left her not just a fortune, but a deeply personal, soul-stirring request.

He was a global icon, beloved by millions, a man whose electrifying voice shook stadiums to their core. But behind the blinding stage lights and roaring crowds, Freddie Mercury harbored a secret so intimate, so profoundly personal, that only one woman would ever truly know the depth of it.

That woman was Mary Austin — the love of his life, his soulmate, and the keeper of a haunting final wish he took to the grave.

Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) and Mary Austin at an after-party in London for 'Dave Clark's Time - The Musical', on 9 April 1986. | Source: Getty Images

Mercury, the flamboyant frontman of Queen, lived as boldly as he sang — but from the very beginning, Austin was the quiet constant in his life. Raised in poverty in South London's Battersea, Austin's childhood was marked by hardship. Her parents — both deaf — worked blue-collar jobs and communicated through sign language and lip reading.

Then came 1969.

Mary Austin in London in January 1970. | Source: Getty Images

Austin, just 19, was working in public relations at the stylish Biba clothing store in Kensington when she met Mercury, then a 24-year-old unknown musician helping run a secondhand clothes stall nearby with Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

"He was like no one I had met before," Austin later told the Daily Mail. "He was very confident — something I had never been. We grew together. I liked him and it went on from there."

Freddie Mercury, with girlfriend Mary Austin, at the Ivor Novello Awards in May 1987 where Queen won the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. | Source: Getty Images

Living together in a cramped bedsit, the young couple eventually moved into a modest one-bedroom flat. Though they hadn't discussed marriage, life seemed content — until one Christmas morning, when Mercury handed her a large box.

"Inside was another box, then another and so it went on," she said. Finally, inside the smallest box — a jade ring. "So I asked him, 'Which hand should I put this on?' And he said, 'Ring finger, left hand.' And then he said, 'Because, will you marry me?'" Her answer was a quiet yes. But it wouldn't last.

Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) and Mary Austin are pictured during Mercury's 38th birthday party at the Xenon nightclub in September 1984 in London. | Source: Getty Images

Despite the engagement, Mercury never mentioned marriage again. Austin recalled seeing a wedding dress and gently testing the waters by asking if it was time to purchase a gown — only to be told no. "He had gone off on the idea," she remembered. "And it never happened."

Their once-rosy romance began to shift. "I knew the writing was on the wall, but what writing? I wasn't absolutely sure," she admitted. Something had changed. Mercury was out more often. He seemed distant. She suspected an affair — with another woman.

But the truth was far more complicated.

Freddie Mercury of Queen with girlfriend Mary Austin circa 1988 in London, England. | Source: Getty Images

One night, Mercury sat her down and confessed what had weighed on him for some time. He was bisexual.

"Being a bit naive, it had taken me a while to realise the truth," Austin said. "Although I do remember saying to him at the time, 'No Freddie, I don't think you are bisexual. I think you are gay.'"

It was the end of their physical relationship — but the deep emotional connection remained unshaken.

"If he hadn't been such a decent human being and told me I wouldn't be here," Austin later revealed. "If he had gone along living a bisexual life without telling me, I would have contracted AIDs and died."

Mary Austin poses for a portrait on 3 September 1984. | Source: Getty Images

Though no longer romantically involved, Mercury told her he always wanted her in his life. At lavish dinner parties, Austin would be seated on one side of him — and his current boyfriend on the other.

Eventually, she moved out and his music company purchased her a £300,000 apartment. Austin watched from the sidelines as Mercury descended into a hedonistic spiral, partying recklessly.

"I think Freddie reached a stage where he thought he was invincible," she said. "He convinced himself he was having a good time and maybe, in part, he was. But I think in part he wasn't."

Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) and Mary Austin at an after-party for Queen's Wembley concerts on 12 July 1986 in Kensington Roof Gardens, London.

In the years that followed, Mercury would secretly battle AIDs. Though rumors swirled, he kept the illness hidden until just before his death. And then, in his final days, came one last plea.

He asked Austin — and only Austin — to collect his ashes and dispose of them in a private, undisclosed location. Not even his elderly parents were told where their son's final resting place lies. She vowed.

"He wanted it to remain a secret and it will remain so."

Austin later had two sons: Richard, whom Mercury knew, and Jamie, born after his death. Her relationship with their father didn't last. Though she remarried, the marriage ended in divorce after five years. But through it all, one truth remained: Freddie Mercury was the love of her life.

He left her his stunning £20 million Edwardian mansion in West London and the bulk of his £9 million fortune. To fans, this was shocking. To Austin, it was the legacy of a love story that defied explanation.

Even now, decades after his passing, she speaks of him with reverence — and holds fast to the promise she made. "I never betrayed Freddie in his lifetime," she said. "And I'll never betray him now."