At that time Queen’s Freddie Mercury dressed Princess Diana in menswear and smuggled her into a London gay club

While many performers perceive their onstage persona as a sort of alter ego, far from their more sober and mundane selves, Queen frontman Freddie Mercury very much lives up to its grandiose and larger-than-life reputation.

In his personal life, Mercury was renowned for throwing the wildest and craziest parties that pushed rock’n’roll excess to new heights. In 1987, for example, he pitched one of these craziest party the rock world has seen, complete with naked waitresses, men biting off live chicken heads, and naked wrestlers. His penchant for partying was also known among his friends, as Elton John once said: “Freddie Mercury could beat me, which is say something. We’d be up late, sitting up there at 11am, still flying high.”

It’s no surprise then that Mercury is something of a night owl, crawling between London’s various clubs into the early hours of the morning, a habit well-documented in the 2018 Queen biopic. Bohemian Rhapsody.

One of the most interesting stories about the frontman’s busy nightlife is the time he allegedly helped dress Princess Diana as a male model, and smuggled her into a South London gay club.

Given the security risks it poses, this is a story that sounds hard to believe, and, as such, is explored (with hilarious actor roles) in urban Myth, comedy-drama series on Sky Arts exploring popular but unproven anecdotes surrounding pop culture.

However, various people who were allegedly there that night have verified its veracity, with anecdotes retold, for example, in actress/comedian Cleo Rocos’ book, The Power of Positive Drinking.

Rocos recounted that he hung out with Mercury and Princess Diana at Kenny Everett’s house sometime in the 1980s, drinking champagne and watching episodes Golden Girl together, while dubbing their own mischievous dialogue through muted visuals. After being asked about their plans for the evening, “The People’s Daughters” were informed that the group planned to go to the popular gay bar, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in South London.

The story continues

Stating that he was in “full naughty mode”, his request to join them was wholeheartedly supported by Mercury who suggested he be allowed to “have fun”. Of course, a nightclub isn’t the ideal place for a royal and future Queen of England to visit, especially one whose every move is meticulously documented (and often scrutinized) in the British tabloids.

Nevertheless, the team made sure that Di’s desire to let her hair down were fulfilled, and came up with the clever idea to disguise her so no one would recognize her. Apparently, his friends dressed him in a more masculine style, consisting of a baseball cap, sunglasses, and an army bomber jacket.

Wary of whether her plan would work, she recalled, “When we walked in we had the feeling she was definitely Princess Diana and would be found at any minute.” But people seem to empty it. He disappeares. But he likes it. He does look like a pretty young man.

When they made it into the club undetected, pleased that they had pulled off their well-crafted scheme, Rocos added: “Diana and Freddie giggled but he ordered white wine and a beer. After the deal was done we looked at each other, united in our quest for victory . We made it!”.

Further elaboration of this moment in his book Kenny and Me: Bananas Forever, he said: “Freddie said, ‘Come on, let the girl have her fun.’ [] Examining it in dim light, we decided that the most famous icon in the modern world might just be considered a somewhat eccentrically dressed gay male model.

“We inched our way through the crowd and thongs, until we finally reached a bar. We nudged each other like naughty schoolboys.”

A night worth celebrating: congratulations everyone.