A forthcoming book centred on Freddie Mercury’s life is poised to send shockwaves through the entertainment world, revealing the existence of his secret daughter. The Queen frontman had a child who was kept well out of the public eye, with only his innermost circle, including his parents and sister being privy to the information. The Queen legend, who died in November 1991, aged 45, having publicly shared that he had AIDS shortly before was also openly bisexual. His ex-girlfriend and longtime friend Mary Austin has broken her silence on claims he had a secret child. The former couple met through guitarist Sir Brian May and they enjoyed a long-term romance in the early 70s. Freddie and Mary got engaged in 1973, but they ultimately split but remained close friends until his death.

In March a woman came forward alleging the Bohemian Rhapsody hitmaker was her father after he had a brief fling with a friend’s wife. Born in 1976, she speaks out for the first time in her new book, titled Love, Freddie and written by biographer Lesley-Ann Jones, claiming Mercury was “devoted” to her. In a new interview, Mary has admitted she had no idea of the child’s identity, who is referred to as B. Speaking to The Times, Mary, who inherited much of Mercury’s estate, said she would be “astonished” if the claims were proven to be true.

“Freddie had a glorious openness, and I cannot imagine he would have wanted to, or been able to, keep such a joyful event a secret, either from me or other people closest to him,” she said.

In a letter to Jones for her book, B says: “Mary Austin—the wonderful woman who was to all intents and purposes his wife until death parted them—knew absolutely everything about him, including all his undisclosed secrets.”

But Mary has denied this as the 74-year-old added: “The truth is that I am simply not the guardian of such a secret.

“I’ve never known of any child, or of any diaries. If Freddie had indeed had a child without me knowing anything about it, that would be astonishing to me.”

She added that if the I Want to Break Free hitmaker did have a daughter, it would have brought him “tremondous joy”.

While she believes that Mercury’s parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, would have “embraced her with all the love in their hearts”, she “does not remember Freddie ever speaking about creating a family.”

Mary’s comments come as a surprise to author Jones, who responded to The Times by claiming she approached Austin for an interview “countless times over many years, but she never once responded”.