The son-in-law of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent killed himself after suffering adverse side-effects from antidepressants prescribed by a Buckingham Palace doctor, an inquest has found.
Thomas Kingston, 45, whose marriage to Lady Gabriella at Windsor Castle in 2019 was attended by the late Queen, died from a self-inflicted wound, the senior coroner for Gloucestershire concluded.
The financier was found dead at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds in February.
Gabriella, 43, told the inquest at Gloucestershire coroner’s court on Tuesday that the public needed to be warned about the effects of medications used to treat mental health conditions, or more people could die.
Kingston began taking antidepressants after complaining of trouble sleeping following stress at work. The medication was prescribed by a doctor at the Royal Mews surgery, a GP practice in the grounds of Buckingham Palace that is used by royal household staff, the inquest heard.
Recording a narrative conclusion, Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, said: “Mr Kingston took his own life … The evidence of his wife, family and business partner all supports his lack of suicidal intent. He was suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed.”
In a statement read out at the inquest by Skerrett, Gabriella said: “[Work] was certainly a challenge for him over the years but I highly doubt it would have led him to take his own life, and it seemed much improved.
“If anything had been troubling him, I’m positive that he would have shared that he was struggling severely. The fact that he took his life at the home of his beloved parents suggests the decision was the result of a sudden impulse.”
She said she believed his death was “likely provoked” by an adverse reaction to the medication he had begun, and subsequently stopped taking, in the weeks leading up to his death.
He had initially been given sertraline - an anti-depressant - and zopiclone, a sleeping tablet, by a Royal Mews surgery GP, after trouble sleeping following stress at work.
Kingston complained this was not making him feel better and his doctor moved him off sertraline to citalopram, another selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) used as an antidepressant.
“The lack of any evidence of inclination – it seems highly likely to me that he had an adverse reaction to the pills that led him to take his life,” Gabriella said.
“I believe anyone taking pills such as these need to be made more aware of the side-effects to prevent any future deaths.
“If this could happen to Tom, this could happen to anyone.”
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In Brazil, you can call Centro de Valorização da Vida on 188. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
