Thomas Kingston’s Death Could Have Been Caused by Medication, Coroner Says

An inquest into the death of Thomas Kingston — the late husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent — will examine whether his “unexpected” death was linked to a medication he was taking.

The Feb. 25, 2024 death of Kingston, 45, was described as “impulsive” at a pre-inquest review, according to the BBC. Kingston died from a catastrophic head injury, and a gun was found near his body at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.

At Gloucester Coroner’s Court on Oct. 8, the BBC reported that the Kingston family had been “advised that there could be a connection” between Kingston’s medication and his state of mind. Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, said the “recent prescription should be part of the scope,” though the BBC didn’t name the specific medication in question.

“There was no pre-planning” on Kingston’s part for his death, Martin Porter KC said at the review. “On the contrary, there was planning for the future.”

No date was officially set for the inquest, but parties have been asked to be available in early December, the BBC reported. Skerrett indicated she wanted Kingston’s inquest to take place before the end of the year, saying, “I am conscious of the family having some closure before the end of the year.”

Kingston’s parents attended the hearing Tuesday, and the court heard his father Martin Kingston give evidence to the inquest on behalf of the family. Lady Gabriella, whom Kingston married at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor in 2019 with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip among their guests, was not in attendance.

After Kingston’s death earlier this year, Lady Gabriella, 43, 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.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla sent their “most heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to Lady Gabriella, who is a second cousin to the monarch. They also extended well-wishes to Kington’s parents and siblings.

On Feb. 25, Skerrett said Kingston had lunch with his parents before his father took their dogs on a walk. “On his return, Mr. Kingston was not in the house,” according to the coroner’s office.

Kingston’s mother began to search for him after 30 minutes, and his father “forced entry on a locked outbuilding when no reply could be gained. His father found Mr. Kingston deceased, with a catastrophic head injury. A gun was present at the scene. The emergency services were called and the police are satisfied that the death is not suspicious,” the coroner’s office said.

Kingston worked as a director at Devonport Capital, and according to his biography on the company’s website at the time of his death, he held a bachelor’s degree in economic history from Bristol University and previously worked at Schroders and Voltan Capital.

Lady Gabriella is 56th in the line of succession to the throne, but she is not a working member of the royal family. She works as a freelance journalist, but she and her husband were frequent fixtures at family events following their marriage.

The couple was at the memorial service for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in March 2022, Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee that June and the monarch’s funeral a few months later. Last summer, the pair watched the Royal Ascot with King Charles and Queen Camilla from the Royal Box and stepped out again for a Chanel exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The couple joined Queen Camilla less than two weeks before his death at a Celebration of Shakespeare event on Feb. 14.

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Around 140 close friends and family gathered at the Chapel Royal in St. James’s Palace in London for a private funeral service for Kingston in March, which was attended by Prince William.

In June, Kingston was further honored at a celebration of life service at St. Mary Abbots Church in Kensington attended by several members of the royal family, according to Hello!. A spokesperson for the Kingston family said, “Lady Gabriella and the Kingston family have been deeply touched by the outpouring of love, kindness and support they have received over the past difficult months.”

“They were grateful today for the chance to celebrate — and give thanks for — the life of a wonderful man, among so many of those who knew and loved him too,” the statement continued.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.