Guitarist Brian May introduced Freddie and Mary, at a discussion about the group. They were trying to choose a name for themselves. Freddie wanted to call the group Queen, while Brian favoured Built Your Own Boat. ‘I remember Freddie’s massive black hair, which made him look like a cavalier, with his arm resting on the mantelpiece of Brian’s house in Barnes. He was very proud of his new white shoes. Suddenly he turned to me and asked what I thought about the names. I said, “Oh, I think Brian’s Build Your Own Boat.” But Freddie got his own way, as he did with most things. They settled on Queen.’
Although he was quite intimidating, Mary found herself fascinated by this ‘wild-looking artistic musician’. ‘He was like no one I had ever met before. He was very confident and I have never been that confident. We grew together. I liked him and it went on from there.’
‘It took about three years for me to really fall in love. But I had never felt that way before about anyone.’ She first shared a £10-a-week bedsit with Freddie in Victoria Road, Kensington. ‘We had so little money then that we could only afford one pair of curtains and so we hung them in the bedroom. We had to share the bathroom and kitchen with another couple.’
After two years, they moved on to a larger, self-contained flat in Holland Road, which cost then £19 a week. By then the group had signed a record deal and had their fist major hit Bohemian Rhapsody, and all the photographs for the first album were taken at that flat.
It was at a showcase held at Ealing College of Art, Freddie’s old art school, that Mary first recognised his star quality. ‘When he came off the stage all the girls and his friends were crowding round him,’ she recalls.
‘He was so busy I just thought, “I don’t think he needs me now.” I started to walk away and he came running after me. He said “Where are you going?” I told him, “I’m going home.”‘ ‘Things had suddenly taken a turn for him and the band. Freddie was just so good on that stage – like I had never seen before, as if it was something he’d stored up. For the first time I felt: “Here is a star in the making. He’s on his way. I don’t think he needs me any more.” I didn’t feel tearful or upset. I was happy that it was at last happening for him because of his talent. He wouldn’t let me go. That night, I realised that I had to go along with this and be a part of it. As everything took off I was watching him flower. It was wonderful to observe. There was something about seeing that happen that was so exciting – I was so happy and proud that he wanted to be with me.’
‘I felt very safe with him. The more I got to know him, the more I loved him for himself. He had quality as a person, which I think is rare in life these days. One thing which was always constant was the love. We knew we could trust each other and we were safe with each other. We knew that we would never hurt each other on purpose.’
‘One Christmas he bought me a ring and put it in the most enormous box. We were going to see his parents for Christmas Day. I opened the box and inside was another box, and so it went on until I got to this very tiny box. When I opened it, there was this beautiful Egyptian scarab ring. It’s supposed to bring good luck. He as very sweet and quite shy about giving it to me.’
It was after they had moved to their second flat in Holland Road that Mary first started to think something was going wrong with their six-year relationship.
‘Even if I didn’t want to fully admit it, I had realised that something was going on. Although I didn’t know what it was I decided to discuss it with Freddie. I told him, “Something is going on and I just feel like a noose around your neck. I think it’s time for me to go.” But he insisted nothing was wrong. Then his life rocketed with the success of the first album and the singles.’ ‘Things were never the same after that. Our relationship cooled. I felt that he was avoiding any confrontation with me. When I came home from work he just wouldn’t be there. He would come in late. The writing was on the wall. We just weren’t as close as we had been.’
As Freddie became an international celebrity, Mary often thought that she might one day lose him to another woman – but never to a male lover. That all changed one day when Freddie told her he had something important to say, something that would change their whole relationship for ever.