The Garden Lodge Door

The high brick walls that wrap around of Garden Lodge date from the time the house was constructed in the early years of the 20th century. These bricks and this mortar was a shield to prying eyes and comforting protection for Freddie and his private home. The main exterior door of this wall and its significance as a gateway to Freddie’s world was clear to all and it became, as the years progressed, an icon amongst monuments of popular culture in London. It was a marker of an extraordinary man.

Freddie had kept his diagnosis private for several years, first announcing it in a public statement at 8pm on the 23rd November 1991. He died the following day of AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia, aged just 45 at his cherished home. He was last seen on stage at the BRIT awards in 1990 and his final appearance on camera was for the music video of ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’, filmed earlier in 1991. Following his death, fans expressed their love, condolences and admiration in graffiti on the walls and evocatively this green painted painted door. It became a significant place of pilgrimage for many. This practice of adornment continued for decades, with fans often travelling internationally to leave graffiti messages or to post letters and photos on the walls around this entrance to Freddie's beloved home.