Thomas Kingston died from ‘catastrophic head injury’, inquest hears

Thomas Kingston, the husband of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter Lady Gabriella Kingston, died from a “catastrophic head injury” and a gun was found near his body, an inquest heard.

Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court heard Mr Kingston, 45, died on February 25 at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.

Mr Kingston, a financier, married Lady Gabriella at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in 2019 with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, among the guests.

Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, outlined the circumstances of Mr Kingston’s death during a short hearing at the court in Gloucester.

“I can confirm I have received evidence of identification of the deceased in written format, which complies with Rule 23 of the Coroner’s Rules 2013,” she said.

“That evidence is sufficient for identification and I can thereby confirm the deceased is indeed Thomas Henry Robin Kingston, 45, whose home address is in London.

“I have received evidence of the brief circumstances surrounding this tragic incident also in written format, which complies with Rule 23 of the Coroner’s Rules 2013.

“These brief circumstances are as follows.

“Mr Kingston was visiting his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.

“On February 25 2024 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-out building 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.

“A post-mortem has been undertaken by Dr Jones, a consultant histopathologist, and a provisional cause of death has been given as a traumatic wound to head.

“Having been satisfied with identification, initial cause of death and the brief circumstances surrounding Mr Kingston’s death, I can formally open this inquest.

“I now adjourn it to a date to be fixed.”

No members of the Kingston family were present although an official from the royal household attended, as did several members of the media.

Lady Gabriella paid tribute to her husband in a joint statement with his family, describing him 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”.

The King and Queen sent their “most heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to Lady Gabriella, who is known as Ella, and Mr Kingston’s parents and siblings.

A statement released on behalf of Lady Gabriella, Mr Martin and Mrs Jill Kingston, Mrs Joanna Connolly and Mrs Emma Murray, said: “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.”

Lady Gabriella released a personal photo she took of her husband, showing him smiling and dressed in a casual pink shirt as he stood near a stretch of water in the sunshine.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “The King and the Queen have been informed of Thomas’s death and join Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and all those who knew him in grieving a much-loved member of the family.

“In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family.”

Lady Gabriella is the King’s second cousin. They are both great-grandchildren of King George V.

Mr Kingston was a director of Devonport Capital, which specialises in providing finance for companies in “frontier economies”.

The Bristol University graduate had also worked in Baghdad, Iraq, working to procure the release of hostages after joining the Diplomatic Missions Unit of the Foreign Office.

He was a close friend of Pippa Matthews – the Princess of Wales’s sister – and the pair were said to have dated in 2011.

Lady Gabriella, who has worked as an arts and travel director for a brand company, is a writer and contributing editor.

She is also a singer-songwriter and released two bossa nova-inspired tracks in 2020 to raise money for charity.

Although Lady Gabriella is not a working member of the royal family, she and Mr Kingston’s family are being supported by the royal household.

No funeral plans have been released so far.

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent attended a service for the late King Constantine II of Greece on Tuesday in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Constantine was Lady Gabriella’s godfather and attended her wedding.

The Prince of Wales, also a godchild of the former Greek monarch, pulled out of attending at the last minute but his absence was because of a personal matter and was understood not to be connected to news of Mr Kingston’s death.