It is with great sadness that we learned today of the passing of Irena Sedlecká.

Irena was the Czech artist commissioned to sculpt the incredible bronze statue of Freddie Mercury that stands proudly over Lake Geneva in Montreux, Switzerland. She was introduced to the Queen Family by Freddie's friend Dave Clark as she had sculpted the bust of Lawrence Olivier for his West End production of 'Time'. Irena was also famous for huge Communist statues that were dedicated to 'The Working Man'.

"She was the most amazing woman and a real free spirit. The perfect person to work on the statue, a real 'Freddie Person'." Claudia Walker, The Mercury Phoenix Trust

The statue, which is visited by tens of thousands of Queen fans each year, was unveiled by Brian May in the presence of Freddie's parents Jer and Bomi Bulsara, his sister Kashmira and Montserrat Caballé in 1996, with the legend 'Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs'. The statue continues to be one of the biggest tourist attractions in Switzerland and a source of pride and inspiration to both local Queen fans and those from across the World.

Our heartfelt condolences go to Irena's family and friends.

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The Making Of The Statue

The Unveiling 

(Photo: Richard Gray)