Freddie Mercury's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Piano Nabs $2.2 Million at London Auction

On Wednesday, 1,400 of the late music legend's possessions went under the hammer at Sotheby's

Freddie Mercury may have died in 1991, but the world is still fascinated by the former Queen frontman.

On Wednesday, many of the legendary musician’s possessions went up for auction at Sotheby's in London. The largest sale of the evening was a Yamaha baby grand piano used to compose many of the band’s biggest hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody." The piano was sold for $2.2 million, while the handwritten lyrics for the tune fetched $1.7 million, Sotheby's said following the sale.

The notes for "Bohemian Rhapsody" included the track’s working title, "Mongolian Rhapsody."

Related: Freddie Mercury's Personal Notes Show Iconic Queen Song Was First Called 'Mongolian Rhapsody'

As reported by CNN, despite Mercury’s piano attracting the evening’s biggest bid, it actually fell short of pre-auction estimates. Sotheby’s had initially predicted that it would fetch between $2.5 million to $3.8 million.

Another particularly interesting sale on the evening was the Cartier onyx and diamond ring gifted to Mercury by Elton John. The ring fetched $339,000, nearly 70 times its estimate. John, 76, had actually sent a letter to be read aloud on the evening by principal auctioneer Oliver Barker.

“I miss Freddie to this day,” John wrote. “He was a wonderful friend, more full of love and life than anyone I’ve ever met,” the tribute stated, as reported by The Independent.

Mercury’s signature crown and red clock ensemble sold for $791,000 while the snake bangle, which was worn by the singer in the music video for "Bohemian Rhapsody," surpassed its estimate 100 times over when it sold for $870,000, the Associated Press reported.

Related: Elton John 'Back Home and in Good Health' Following Hospitalization After a Fall: Rep

The event was the first of six planned auctions of the late musician’s never-before-seen private possessions. The black-tie evening began when the assembled bidders broke into a chant of Queen’s hit "We Will Rock You" as they sipped champagne, according to a Sotheby’s release.

Mercury left all of his possessions to Mary Austin, his close friend and first love. More than 32 years after the singer’s death, Austin has started to sell them off with a portion of the proceeds set to be divided between the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Ahead of the auction, Austin — who had kept the items for more than 30 years at Mercury’s former Garden Lodge home in London’s Kensington — explained in a Sotheby's release why she had decided it was time to part with them.

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"For many years now, I have had the joy and privilege of living surrounded by all the wonderful things that Freddie sought out and so loved. But the years have passed, and the time has come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life," Austin said.

"It was important to me to do this in a way that I felt Freddie would have loved, and there was nothing he loved more than an auction. Freddie was an incredible and intelligent collector who showed us that there is beauty and fun and conversation to be found in everything."

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