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Queen star is left in exile

EXPRESS FOREIGN SERVICE

QUEEN superstar Freddie Mercury took up his place in history yesterday — but it wasn't in the country where he spent most of his life.

Snubbed by authorities in Britain, his friends and family finally got permission to erect a nine-foot statue in his honour in the Swiss town of Montreux, where Mercury had a home.

Former Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor yesterday joined the Aids victim's family in Switzerland for the unveiling of the monument.

Their request to locate their tribute near his permanent home in Kensington was rejected by the local authority.

"It's dreadful," said Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

"Kensington and Chelsea obviously prefer putting up statues to dead generals and jobless Royal consorts to rock stars.

"You would have thought they could have found it in their hearts to find a little space for Freddie.

“But with people like that, he’s probably better off in Montreux, which has a fabulous view and people who are honoured to have a memorial to Freddie." Claudia Beach, the wife of Queen's manager Jim, added: "Obviously our first choice was London, but over the past four years we have approached everyone we could think of and they all turned us down.”

“With an official fan club of 28,000 members, it would have been good for tourism too."

Freddie, who was 45 when he died in 1991, lived in for 20 years.

[Photo caption: TRIBUTE: Queen star Brian May]