Thomas Kingston was a beloved husband, son, brother and son-in-law, remembered by his loved ones as an "exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him". The financier was born in 1978 to Martin and Jill Kingston and later married into the British royal family, when he wed Lady Gabriella Kingston, the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II's cousin Prince Michael of Kent.
Thomas and Gabriella's love story
Thomas met his future wife Gabriella, a former columnist for HELLO! magazine, through mutual friends in 2014. He had previously dated the Princess of Wales' sister, Pippa Middleton. After two years together, Lady Gabriella gushed to Best Quality Designer Handbag : "I'm very happy to be with someone very special," adding: "I'm very lucky."
The couple got engaged on the Isle of Sark in August of 2018, though their engagement wasn't announced until the following month. "Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor to Mr Thomas Kingston. The engagement took place in August; Mr Kingston proposed on the Isle of Sark," the palace said in its announcement that September.
At the time, the palace shared that Thomas worked in frontier market investment and was the Director of Devonport Capital.
Fairytale Windsor wedding
Gabriella and Thomas tied the knot in a fairytale wedding on May 18, 2019. The ceremony took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor and was attended by members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. As the bride and groom left the chapel, the newlyweds shared a sweet kiss on the steps.
Lady Gabriella wore an impressive four outfits for her nuptials and in an exclusive interview with HELLO!, she recounted the joy of her special day. "It was a magical day and Luisa [Beccaria] created a wonderful dress for me," she recalled. "This is the first time I've seen it since the wedding and it brings back so many happy memories."
© GettyIn the years following their wedding, Thomas was seen by his wife's side at events like Royal Ascot, alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla.
According to Princess Michael of Kent, her daughter and Thomas were "very happy together".
Thomas' tragic death
The couple were married for nearly five years before Thomas' death on February 25, 2024. Thomas took his own life at his parents' home in the Cotswolds, where a gun was found near him. He died from a "catastrophic head injury".
Buckingham Palace announced his passing two days later with a statement on behalf of Lady Gabriella, Martin and Jill Kingston, Joanna Connolly and Emma Murray, which read: "It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother. Tom was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has come as a great shock to the whole family and we ask you to respect our privacy as we mourn his passing."
A palace spokesperson added at the time that King Charles and Queen Camilla had been informed of Thomas' death and joined "Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and all those who knew him in grieving a much-loved member of the family."
© Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty ImagesDuring the inquest into his death, Gabriella gave a witness statement, read out by Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, in which she described their marriage as "deeply loving and trusting". She said her husband had never expressed any suicidal thoughts to her or others. She added that he had been deeply affected by the suicide of a friend and the "devastating impact it had on other people's loved ones".
Lady Gabriella's plea
Gabriella said her husband died after making a "sudden impulse" decision to take his own life after suffering an adverse effect to prescribed medication, which he had only started taking three weeks prior. In her statement, she 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."
© Mike Marsland/WireImageShe added: "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.
"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."
Thomas' military career and difficult past
Thomas graduated from Bristol University with a bachelor's degree in economic history before going on to work in the Diplomatic Missions Unit of the United Kingdom's Foreign Office.
For almost three years, he worked in Baghdad as a project officer for the Iraqi Institute of Peace to mediate conflicts in Iraq and even helped negotiate the release of hostages. He handled mentally challenging and difficult situations and is said to have survived a suicide bombing in 2004.
After his time in the military, Thomas transitioned to finance, working as an equity analyst for Schroders, a global asset management firm. He then worked as the managing director of Voltan Capital Management until April 2017. Thomas was a director of Devonport Capital at the time of his death, which specialises in providing finance for companies in "frontier economies".
Lady Gabriella's next chapter
HELLO! spoke exclusively to Gabriella last year about her work with Restore the Music, a charity which provides state schools across the country with world class musical instruments and music tech resources. The singer-songwriter, who became patron of the organisation in 2025, had several overseas travel plans on the horizon.
© Getty Images"I plan a lot of projects, but I'm also open to opportunities that come up, like song-writing partnerships and professional collaborations," she told us.
"I'm currently working with MAD Impact Foundation — Make a Difference — on a global concert for climate set to take place on the shores of Brazil days before COP30. It's a celebration and a call to action, and will bring together a fantastic line up of artists and speakers to amplify the moral urgency of the climate crisis," she said, clearly excited about the event, all proceeds of which will directly fund climate technology solutions as well as climate education.
"For now, my focus is on this, as well as my new role as patron of Restore the Music. I'd like people to know what an exceptional impact this charity can have on children's lives."
