Bohemian Rhapsody: Mary Austin reveals WHY Freddie wanted her to 'hide' his ashes

He is one of the greatest performers, musicians and icons of all time. Freddie gave everything on stage and on record, yet kept a part of himself very private, only shown to a very fortunate and trusted few. Bohemian Rhapsody started to reveal the intensely shy side to one of the most flamboyant showmen but it seems fitting that some things still remain private. Including the site where his ashes are buried.

In fact, it is not even clear if his ashes were buried or scattered. Only one woman knows, which is exactly how Freddie himself wanted it.

As Bohemian Rhapsody shows, Freddie had many lovers throughout his life and some great loves, but Mary Austin was there from the very beginning and by his side at the end.

They may no longer have been a couple, Freddie was evidently very happy with Jim Hutton in those last years, but Mary was the “love of my life,” the woman he referred to as his common-law wife.

In a rare interview, she revealed the day Freddie told her, and only her, his wishes for his final resting place.

Mary said: “He suddenly announced one day after Sunday lunch: ‘I know exactly where I want you to put me. But nobody is to know because I don’t want anyone to dig me up.”

“Those were his exact word. “I just want to rest in peace.'”

This reflects other comments Freddie had made about the heavy weight he bore. He may have revelled in those extraordinary moments in front of a crowd, but he was not immune to the pressures and price of fame.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: WATCH MARY AUSTIN TALK ABOUT ‘BRAVE’ FREDDIE’S FINAL DAYS AND THE REASON HE LET GO

Ultimately, he summed it all up in his typically unashamedly outrageous comments: “In the end, all the mistakes and excuses are down to me. I’d like to feel I’m being my honest self. I don’t give a sh** what people say about me. I don’t regret any of the things I did. I’m just me.”

He performed in public, but he answered to no-one. He lived and died in private and he wanted his resting place to be the same.

Freddie’s funeral service was conducted on 27 November 1991 by a Zoroastrian priest at West London Crematorium. His life is commemorated by a plinth there, as well as the famous statue on the shores of Lake Geneva, while fans still flock to his London home, where Mary now lives.

Fans can have the myth and the memory but the man lies in peace, secret and safe, as he should be.

WATCH THE FULL MARY AUSTIN INTERVIEW HERE