How Much Is the Crown of 'Queen'?…Freddie Mercury's Memorabilia to Be Auctioned

Freddie Mercury Memorabilia Collection at Sotheby's Auction
Mustache Comb, Red Cape, Crown, etc... Valued at Hundreds of Millions of Won

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The collection of personal belongings of Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, is set to be auctioned.

According to major foreign media on the 26th (local time), over 1,500 items left by Freddie Mercury to his former lover and friend Mary Austin will be put up for auction at Sotheby's.

Sotheby's announced that prior to the six auctions scheduled for September, exhibitions of the belongings will be held from June in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and London. The exhibition will conclude on September 5, coinciding with Freddie Mercury's 77th birthday.

The items on display will include Freddie's 'mustache comb' and 'D-35 acoustic guitar' that he used during his lifetime, as well as the red cape and crown he wore during Queen's final tour performance in 1986. Sotheby's predicts that the crown and cape could fetch up to ?80,000 (approximately 133 million KRW).

Freddie Mercury's crown worn, featured in Sotheby's auction.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, personal items used by Mercury during his lifetime and handwritten lyrics will also be auctioned. Notably, the handwritten lyrics of "We Are The Champions," considered Queen's 'greatest song' that captivated 72,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in 1985, are expected to sell for up to ?300,000 (approximately 500 million KRW).

However, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) predicted that the total auction proceeds might be lower compared to collections from other musicians such as Elton John. Elton John's 1988 auction of costumes and memorabilia fetched a total of $8.2 million (approximately 11 billion KRW).

Also, Bob Dylan's 1965 lyrics book for "Like a Rolling Stone" was traded for $2 million (approximately 2.68 billion KRW), setting the highest price for handwritten lyrics.

Meanwhile, Mercury left Mary Austin a London mansion worth over ?20 million (approximately 33.5 billion KRW) and assets exceeding ?7.8 million (approximately 13.05 billion KRW) during his lifetime. After his death, Mercury also left copyright income in Austin's name.

Austin stated, "For many years, I have had the privilege of living surrounded by all the wonderful things Freddie loved," adding, "Now that much time has passed, I have made the difficult decision to close a very special chapter in my life" as the reason for the auction.

Mercury died at the age of 45 on November 24, 1991, in London, England, from pneumonia caused by AIDS. Austin said that part of the auction proceeds will be donated to AIDS charities, including the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.