“It took me a long time to really fall in love with this man but when it did happens i couldn’t walk away from him: his pain became my pain, his joy my joy. I could almost look inside him and what i saw was a treasure trove of beauty… i think the same thing happened to a few million people too. That’s why i think the fans continue to feel what they do because they’ve seen it too that beauty and all the aspects of Freddie’s personality…and they’ve fallen in love with him too.” Mary G. Austin from a 2013 interview by David Wigg published in the ‘Daily Mail’….

In a deeply personal and moving interview from 2013 with journalist David Wigg, Mary Austin — Freddie Mercury’s longtime confidante and once romantic partner — offered rare insight into the emotional bond she shared with the Queen frontman. Published in the Daily Mail, her reflections revealed not just the intimacy of their relationship, but also the profound impact Freddie had on everyone who truly knew him.

“It took me a long time to really fall in love with this man,” Mary admitted. “But when it did happen, I couldn’t walk away from him.” These words encapsulate the complex yet enduring connection between the two — one that transcended romantic love and became a deep, spiritual companionship. As Mary explained, Freddie’s emotions became hers. “His pain became my pain, his joy my joy.” In this deeply empathetic bond, she found herself drawn into the very soul of a man who could be both dazzling and vulnerable.

Perhaps the most striking part of Mary’s statement was her description of what she saw when she looked into Freddie: “a treasure trove of beauty.” That beauty, she believes, was not hers alone to witness. “I think the same thing happened to a few million people too,” she added, touching on Freddie’s lasting connection with fans across the world. For Mary, Freddie’s magic wasn’t confined to the stage or studio — it was part of who he was at his core: a man full of passion, complexity, mischief, and tenderness.

This perspective adds a poignant layer to Freddie Mercury’s legacy. Often remembered for his theatricality, soaring voice, and iconic performances, Freddie was also deeply private, thoughtful, and emotionally intense. Mary, one of the few people he trusted implicitly, saw those sides of him — the parts hidden from the public eye — and fell in love with them. Her words echo what many fans have felt for decades: a sense of personal connection to a man they never met, but whose spirit they somehow understood.

Mary Austin’s relationship with Freddie remains one of the most significant and enduring stories in the Queen saga. He once called her “his common-law wife” and famously left her the majority of his estate, including his cherished Garden Lodge home in Kensington. Their bond defied traditional labels and continues to speak to the universal power of love — complex, imperfect, and deeply human.

Through Mary’s reflections, we are reminded that Freddie Mercury was not only a larger-than-life performer, but also a soul worth falling in love with — again and again.