The Royal Family are mourning the loss of Thomas Kingston who has passed away aged 45, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
Just a day after the Royal Family came together to attend a Service of Thanksgiving for King Charles’s late second cousin, King Constantine of Greece, Buckingham Palace confirmed the loss of another extended family member. Thomas Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston (née Windsor) has tragically passed away at the age of 45. According to the BBC, he was found dead in Gloucestershire on Sunday 25th February and emergency services were called.
There were no suspicious circumstances and no-one else was involved in Thomas’s passing. Following this poignant news being confirmed to the public, King Charles and Queen Camilla have issued their “most heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to Thomas’s immediate family.
The Buckingham Palace spokesperson added that Their Majesties are joining “Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and all those who knew him in grieving a much-loved member of the family”.
Lady Gabriella and his family also released a statement via Buckingham Palace which declared “Tom” was an “exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him”. His death was described as a “great shock to the whole family”.
Who was Thomas Kingston?
Thomas Kingston was the husband of Lady Gabriella who is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, members of the extended Royal Family. As reported by the BBC, Thomas was a director at Devonport Capital - a private equity firm. Although it was never confirmed officially, reports have suggested that he met Lady Gabriella in 2014 thanks to mutual friends.
They became engaged when he proposed during a holiday on the Isle of Sark and the happy news was announced in 2018. Thomas and Lady Gabriella married in May 2019. Unsurprisingly the guest list featured plenty of Royal Family members, including the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
Who is Lady Gabriella?
Lady Gabriella is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and the sister of Lord Frederick Windsor. Prince Michael of Kent is the cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth and whilst he isn’t a working royal himself, both of his siblings the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra are. The Kents have regularly been seen at Royal Family occasions over the years and during Queen Elizabeth’s reign they often joined her on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour.
Last year Gabriella stepped up to represent Prince William at the funeral of King Constantine of Greece in Athens, whilst Princess Anne represented King Charles. This was a huge honour for Lady Gabriella and showcased how close the Kents are to the immediate Royal Family. As a non-working royal she has forged a separate, successful career for herself as a freelance writer.
Lady Gabriella was educated at Downe House which the independent school the Princess of Wales briefly attended. She then studied in the US and graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Comparative Literary and Hispanic Studies.
Lady Gabriella then completed an MPhil in Social Anthropology at Oxford and according to the Creative Women Platform, she’s written for the likes of The Daily Telegraph, The Evening Standard and Vogue, as well as contributed to The London Magazine’s Literary Periodical.
She’s said to write about performing arts, design, and arts education, as well as social issues, the environment and culture. Lady Gabriella is also involved in different philanthropic ventures in these fields.
Do Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella Windsor have children?
Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella don’t have children - Prince Michael and Princess Michael of Kent are Maud and Isabella Windsor who are Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor’s daughters.
When was Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella’s wedding?
Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella’s wedding took place on 18th May 2019, a day after Prince Harry and Meghan’s first wedding anniversary. They tied the knot at the same venue as the Sussexes did - St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Their nuptials were attended by the immediate and extended Royal Family, with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Harry, Sarah Ferguson all there. The Prince of Wales wasn’t at the wedding - according to the BBC because he was going to be at the FA Cup final in his role as President of the FA.
The Princess of Wales wasn’t at Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella’s wedding either, but her parents Michael and Carole Middleton, brother James and sister and brother-in-law Pippa and James Matthews were.
The bride’s parents Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and brother Lord Frederick Windsor attended. Lord Frederick’s wife Sophie Winkleman, the half-sister of TV host Claudia Winkleman was also there and walked in with Prince Harry.
Lady Gabriella opted for a magnificent Luisa Beccaria dress for the ceremony and she wore the Kent City of London Fringe Tiara which was inherited by Prince Michael of Kent from his mother, the Duchess of Kent.
