Princess Michael of Kent has spoken for the first time about her son-in-law Thomas Kingston’s shocking suicide.
The husband of Princess Michael’s daughter, Lady Gabriella Windsor, died on Feb. 25 at the age of 45. A gun was found next to his body, which was discovered at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.
A coroner has said the cause of death was a “traumatic wound to the head.” The official also concluded that Kingston took his own life.
“Tom was a lovely man, so kind and thoughtful,” 79, told Majesty Magazine in a new interview published Tuesday, per Tatler.
“They were very happy together,” she said of Gabriella, 43, and Thomas.
“We often had them here with Freddie and Sophie and the girls for Sunday lunch,” the princess added. In addition to Gabriella, Princess Michael is mother to Lord Frederick Windsor, 45, who has two young daughters with his wife, Sophie Winkleman, 44.
“We never had an inkling anything was wrong.”
Princess Michael, the wife of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s first cousin Prince Michael of Kent, shared that the entire family has come together to do what they can to support Gabriella in the wake of Kingston’s suicide. Frederick and Sophie have been a particular boon to the bereaved widow, Princess Michael said.
A financier, former hostage negotiator and ex-boyfriend of Kate Middleton’s sister Pippa Middleton, Thomas Kingston, wed Lady Gabriella in May 2019.
The royal and her family released a statement on Feb. 27 confirming Kingston’s death.
“It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother,” the statement read. “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 spoke about her late husband’s death in an emotional witness statement read aloud at the Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court on Dec. 3, The Telegraph reported.
“It appears to me Tom’s impulsive action was likely provoked by an adverse reaction to the medication he had been taking in the last two weeks of his life,” Gabriella’s reportedly said in her statement.
She allegedly sobbed during the hearing as her written testimony was read. In the statement, Gabriella said that her husband had never expressed any suicidal thoughts to her or to others, Hello! reported.
“[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,” the outlet said the statement added.
“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.”
Lady Gabriella also reportedly wrote that “the lack of any evidence of inclination” made it seem “highly likely to me that he had an adverse reaction to the pills that led him to take his life.”
She also allegedly stated that Kingston had been deeply affected by a friend’s suicide and the “devastating impact it had on other people’s loved ones.”
Lady Gabriella and Princess Michael both attended King Charles’ Christmas lunch on Thursday.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
