Heartbreaking final photo of Freddie Mercury with his beloved cats

24 November 2023 , 07:00

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The Queen frontman Freddie Mercury adored his cats (Image: Instagram)

Freddie Mercury put on a smile for the camera as he posed for final photos taken just a few weeks before he died.

The legendary frontman of Queen was seen in his garden at One Garden Lodge, West Kensington, with his beloved cats as he stood tall for some photos. He specifically requested the photographs not to be taken too close as he was nervous about the way he looked. His partner Jim Hutton snapped the pictures of Freddie – who put on a lovely outfit and styled his hair for the occasion.

The pictures were taken on August 28, 1991, three months before the Queen singer passed away. In one of the snaps, one of his many cats stood next to him as they enjoyed the sunny afternoon. The Queen frontman died following his battle with Aids on November 24, and released a public statement just 24 hours previously that confirmed he was HIV positive.

Rumours had been swirling about his health status for a few years, with speculation that he had been tested for HIV and Aids as far back as 1986, after his health declined so rapidly that Queen had to halt their 1987 Magic Tour before it was due to finish. Freddie, real name Farrokh Bulsara, had been something of a recluse in his last two years of his life, preferring to stay at his lavish Garden Lodge home in west London's Kensington.

Speaking about the final photos taken of his partner, Jim previously said: "That summer Freddie posed for a camera for the very last time – mine. It happened like this. I was out in the garden photographing some of the flowers in full bloom and Freddie walked towards me.

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"I trained the lens on – he wanted to move back a bit so it wasn't a close-up. Then he posed while I took four pictures, and he managed a smile for each." Jim continued: "He was so pale and drawn that he knew he didn't look his best, but it didn't matter a bit; of all the pictures I have of Freddie, those are the ones I love most."

During his health battle Freddie purposely avoided the cameras, with Queen star Brian May confirming it was deliberate. "We all knew there wasn't much time left," Brian told the Telegraph in 2013. "Freddie wanted his life to be as normal as possible. He obviously was in a lot of pain and discomfort." He went on: "He was pursued by the press and curious people. He just wanted peace and quiet, to be able to get on with what he did."

Zara Woodcock