Diana Moseley, Freddie Mercury

A black lace hat with silver polka dots that was previously owned by Freddie Mercury. 

• designed by Diana Moseley.
• Commissioned for Freddie Mercury's Very Silly Hat Party, 1986.

The hat was designed by Diana Moseley for Freddie’s ‘Very Silly Hat’ party that took place at his Garden Lodge home on his 40th birthday. Diana Moseley, in an interview with Sotheby’s, June 2023, recalled making the hats for this occasion: 

"Freddie had a huge sense of humor. I remember making all the hats for his 40th birthday party in 1986, each one specifically designed for a member of the family or one of his friends, like Mary, Jim, Joe, Peter and some actor friends. There were joke ones and a trick one for Freddie which nearly broke his jaw because it had an exploding device in it. He found it hilarious. When I arrived at the house with them, it was like giving out Christmas presents. The day before, they had all been bouncing around the house setting up the party, putting hatstands in the garden, as if for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. It was a curious sight, but so much fun.”

The ‘exploding device’ referred to by Moseley is the mechanism inside the ‘Mad Hatter’ top hat which made the top flip open to reveal the ‘surprise bang’.