12 March 2024 , 18:53
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Thomas Kingston's funeral was held today - and it's a date that has a heartbreaking significance for his widow, Lady Gabriella Windsor.
Around 140 friends and family attended the service for the late financier and hostage negotiator, whose sudden death left the Royal Family in mourning. He had been married to Lady Gabriella, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, for almost five years.
Mourners gathered on Tuesday at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace in London, followed by a reception in St James’s Palace. Prince William, the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra were among those present, alongside Lady Gabriella and Mr Kingston’s family.
Exactly nine years ago today - March 12 - was the day Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella made their first public outing as a couple, reports Express.co.uk. In 2015, the pair attended the Cheltenham Festival together. They married on May 18 2019 at St George's Chapel in Windsor, one year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot at the same venue.
Mr Kingston worked in "frontier market investment", having previously worked in diplomacy and as a hostage negotiator in Iraq. He was 45 when he was found dead at his parents' home in Gloucestershire on February 25. He was discovered in an outbuilding on the property, with an inquest confirming he died from a "traumatic head wound".
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Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella made their first public outing as a couple on March 12, 2015 (PA)
The news left members of the family in mourning, with Prince William said to be 'devastated' (Getty Images)Prince William, 41, was reported to have been “shocked and devastated” at the news of his death. Royal sources said Mr Kingston was well-liked within royal circles and had known many of the younger royals for years.
Senior coroner Katy Skerrett said: "Mr Kingston was visiting his parents' home in the Cotswolds. On 25 February he ate lunch with his parents. His father went out to walk the dogs.
"On his return Mr Kingston was not in the house and after approximately 30 minutes his mother went to look for him. His father forced entry on a locked outbuilding when no reply could be gained. He found Mr Kingston deceased with a catastrophic head injury. A gun was present at the scene. Emergency services were called. Police are satisfied the death is not suspicious."
In a joint statement with his family, Lady Gabriella described Thomas as an “exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him”. They described his death as a “great shock to the whole family”.