35 Years Ago, Freddie and the boys walked off the stage for the last time

i was there. i had no idea that "that was it" and until the "Queen for an Hour" interview, I still had no idea. looking back, I'm glad that I saw them the times that I did (79, 82, 84 & 86x2). Had I not, i'd have been sorely disappointed to find there was no tours in 88-91.

i think, that the "goodbyes" were pretty much a typical end-of-tour thing. factor in the huge success of this tour (they really needed a successful european tour, after having more or less cut ties with America) it was probably nice to put the thing to bed safe in the knowledge that (as a band) they still had a key role in the music fan's consciousness.

also, the Crown/Cloak thing was a pretty much choreographed thing, to ensure adulation/appreciation could be seen to be a mutual [Queen>audience / audience>Queen] thing.

i don't think it had anything really to do with AIDS. Freddie's decision to stop touring came about around '88 prior to the Miracle, when it was concluded that the underlying health issue would only ever be managed to a level of quality/prolongation of life - and to maintain a quality/prolongation of life would ultimately mean binning the album-tour/album-tour cycle of previous years.

we're making all of these assumptions with the benefit of hindsight. but that same hindsight allows us to make our assumptions fit an agenda - when in reality, they probably don't.
here's something to consider: right up to the end, Freddie said nothing about his illness - in '87 emphatically denying the rumours. so, ask yourself this: here we have someone who was doing everything possible to keep his illness a secret, so what exactly would be the point of dropping huge clues to hundreds of thousands of people by deliberately NOT saying "see you next time" or "if i'm still alive". it just doesn't make sense.

it's just as possible, that lots of other gigs on previous tours he never said "see you next time" and as for the "if I'm alive" - isn't that just a simple way of dealing with a question? rather than having to commit to returning to a specific country/city?

I trust Mary. That's good enough for me. 

absolutely. but that doesn't remove the ability to perform/tour. Freddie made choices much later than '86 about touring and (more importantly) living - when he chose to stop taking antiviral cocktails - for whatever reasons (good or bad).
Holly Johnson was diagnosed HIV in 91? had full-blown AIDS in 93...and even continued to tour (until 2017). Holly's still here, Freddie isn't.