Jane Seymour recalls night she 'married' Freddie Mercury: 'He kissed me, right in front of everyone'
31 March 2026, 13:35
The actress, 75, shares memories of the 1985 Fashion Aid benefit where she played Mercury’s bride onstage.
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For Jane Seymour, one memory stands out above all others in her 55-year career: the night she “married” rock icon Freddie Mercury.
The actress, best known for her roles in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and the James Bond film Live and Let Die, recounted the unforgettable evening at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1985.
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Jane, then 34, found herself flanked backstage by David Bowie, Boy George, and the Queen frontman, before joining them on stage in front of thousands – a surreal moment that has remained one of the best memories of her career.
The 75-year-old actress recently revisited the extraordinary experience on TikTok, recalling the glamour and energy of the 1985 Fashion Aid benefit.
The annual event was designed to support fashion and charitable causes while bringing together some of the biggest names in music and entertainment.
“They decided I should be Freddie Mercury's bride,” Jane said, painting a picture of the moment she was thrust into this whirlwind of sequins, hair, and stage magic.
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“So, I'm backstage. I show up - quiet, innocent, English actress... they did my hair really huge, they put me in this extraordinary gown that I could barely walk in.”
The dress, designed by Princess Diana's wedding dress makers David and Elizabeth Emanuel, was spectacular, but not exactly practical.
“They put a wreath of flowers around my head that to this day, I remember the migraine. And a huge bouquet that I could barely carry,” she said.
“I remember at one point I'm backstage and suddenly, I think I'm flanked by David Bowie, Boy George, and Freddie Mercury.
"I think they looked right through me, which was hard to do, considering the amount of hair and glamour they had put in to." She said, adding: "I was, you have to understand, I was as bridal as you could ever get.”
Once onstage, Jane recalled what happened next. “Freddie's just prancing off doing Freddie Mercury and I'm supposed to be his bride," she said.
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"So, I'm like running behind like crazy and as fast as I can — this huge dress, with this headdress that's killing me, and the flowers I can barely carry, but with a smile on my face."
The “wedding” reached its climactic moment when Mercury leaned in for a kiss.
“And Freddie just suddenly turns into, like, the groom - and he kisses me! He kisses me. Right in front of everyone,” she recalled.
“And then he grabs my flowers, and he looks at the audience, and he throws them. This thing - if it hit somebody, it could seriously have hurt them.”
Looking back, Jane described the experience as an unforgettable highlight.
“It was an absolutely sublime moment, and I think one of the great memories of my life was being Freddie Mercury's wife,” she said.
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Offstage, Jane Seymour married four times: to Michael Attenborough (1971–1973), Geoffrey Planer (1977–1978), David Flynn (1981–1992), and James Keach (1993–2015), and has four children from her marriages to David and James. As of 2025, she has been in a relationship with musician John Zambetti.
Freddie Mercury's relationship with soulmate Mary Austin explained
While Freddie Mercury never legally married, his deep connection with ex-fiancé Mary Austin endured for life.
He once described Mary as his “only true friend” and common-law wife, saying: “I might have all the problems in the world but I have Mary and that gets me through. I still see her every day and I am as fond of her now as I have ever been. I'll love her until I draw my last breath.”
In Freddie's memory, Mary Austin will publish his previously unreleased creative archive in a new book titled A Life in Lyrics.
The collection is set for release in September 2026, to coincide with what would have been the Queen frontman’s 80th birthday.
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