Freddie Mercury wrote Elton John heartbreaking final note days before he died

Freddie Mercury was a rock legend, adored by millions of fans around the world for his incredible songwriting and showmanship.

As the frontman of iconic band, Queen, his stage presence was awesome - but away from the stadiums and cameras, Freddie kept his circle of friends close.

An intensely private man, the Bohemian Rhapsody singer kept his devastating HIV diagnosis a secret from the world and only told a very select few in his inner circle.

Just 24 hours before his tragic death at the age of just 45, Freddie revealed to the world that he was battling AIDS.

On November 23, 1991, the star issued a poignant statement confirming his condition.

It said: "I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me.

"However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease.

"My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue."

In 2017 bandmate Brian May revealed it had actually cost Freddie his foot.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, May said: "The problem was actually his foot, and tragically there was very little left of it.

"Once, he showed it to us at dinner. And he said, 'Oh Brian, I'm sorry I've upset you by showing you that'. And I said, 'I'm not upset, Freddie, except to realise you have to put up with all this terrible pain'."

And for the final two years of his life, Freddie lived in almost total seclusion.

In his final appearance in a Queen video in the same year he died, the rock powerhouse looked visibly thin and frail.

But Freddie was always thinking of others and spent his last days recording Queen's final album, Made In Heaven, which was released following his death.

The superstar only allowed a few of his closest friends to see him in his final days and his good pal Elton John was among them.

The Rocketman singer has described the agony of watching his friend deteriorate before his eyes as the cruel illness ravaged his body.

Despite keeping his illness a secret, Freddie still wanted to spend time with his friend during his last days.

But Elton could only spend limited time at the Queen frontman's bedside because he found what was happening to him so upsetting.

In his memoir, Elton wrote: "He was too frail to get out of bed, he was losing his sight, his body was covered in Kaposi's sarcoma lesions, and yet he was still definitely Freddie, gossiping away, completely outrageous.

"I couldn’t work out whether he didn’t realise how close to death he was or if he knew perfectly well but was determined not to let what was happening to him stop him being himself."

But Elton was determined the Bohemian Rhapsody star would feel loved as his health declined against the disease.

Freddie had been one of the superstars who Elton credits with saving his life at the height of his drug problems when he begged him to go into rehab as his cocaine addiction spiralled out of control as he struggled to cope with his global fame.

The Queen frontman also used the time he had left in his last days to buy thoughtful Christmas presents, which were delivered after he passed away.

One of them was for his close friend, Elton. It was a painting by Henry Scott Tuke, one of the Candle In The Wind singer's favourite artists.

The piece of art was wrapped in a pillow case and was accompanied with a heartbreaking note.

It read: "Dear Sharon, I thought you'd like this. Love, Melina. Happy Christmas."

This was an adorable nod to the pair's nicknames for one another as they had given each other drag queen names.

Elton said: "By all rights, Freddie should have spent those final days concerned only with his own comfort. But that wasn't who he was. He truly lived for others

"Freddie had passed on November 24, 1991, and weeks after the funeral, I was still grieving. On Christmas Day, I learnt that Freddie had left me one final testament to his selflessness.

"I was moping about when a friend showed up at my door and handed me something wrapped in a pillowcase. I opened it up, and inside was a painting by one of my favourite artists, the British painter Henry Scott Tuke. And there was a note on the front from Freddie.

"Years before, Freddie and I had developed pet names for each other, our drag-queen alter egos. I was Sharon and he was Melina. Freddie's note read, 'Dear Sharon, I thought you'd like this. Love, Melina. Happy Christmas.'

"I was overcome, 44 years old at the time, crying like a child. Here was this beautiful man, dying from AIDS, and in his final days, he had somehow managed to find me a lovely Christmas present.

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Freddie MercuryElton JohnQueenHIV and Aids