Lady Gabriella bids farewell to husband Thomas Kingston at private funeral

A private family funeral for Thomas Kingston took place on Tuesday morning following his shock death at the age of 45, HELLO! understands.

The service took place at the Chapel Royal at St James's in London followed by a reception in St James's Palace, with the funeral procession departing from the chapel of Kensington Palace accompanied by close family.

Members of the royal family were among the 140 people in attendance to support Thomas's widow, Lady Gabriella Kingston and Thomas's family, including the Prince of Wales, Lady Gabriella's parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent,  and the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

HELLO! understands the one hour service was led by the Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, the Revd Canon Paul Wright, with a sermon from the former Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Richard Chartres. The funeral was followed by a private cremation, with a larger scale memorial service expected to be held in honour of Thomas in due course.

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The King, 75, was not in attendance at the service as he is currently receiving cancer treatment. Meanwhile, the Queen, 76, hosted a reception to celebrate International Women’s Day, where she marked the end of the WOW Girls Festival Bus tour.

Thomas was found dead at his parents' home in the Cotswolds on 25 February. An inquest at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court on 1 March found that the financier died from a "catastrophic head injury" and a gun was found near his body.

During the hearing, Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, outlined the circumstances of Thomas' death, saying: "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 the head."

Lady Gabriella paid tribute to her husband in a joint statement with his family released on 27 February, 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 Thomas' parents and siblings.

Lady Gabriella and Thomas tied the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on 18 May 2019. The couple were last pictured together on Valentine's Day as they joined Queen Camilla at a star-studded soiree to celebrate the work of William Shakespeare.

Thomas is survived by his father, former barrister Martin Kingston; his mother, Jill Kingston; and his sisters, Joanna Connolly and Emma Murray.

Although Lady Gabriella is not a working member of the royal family, she and her late husband's family are being supported by the royal household.

Prince William is Lady Gabriella's second cousin once removed – and they were both godchildren of the late King Constantine of Greece.

The Chapel Royal's history

The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace has been the location of many royal events through history,  including christenings and weddings.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had originally been due to tie the knot inside the intimate venue in 2020, but their nuptials were postponed and they opted for the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Windsor instead in July 2020.

While the most recent royal weddings have been held in Windsor, The Chapel Royal has previously played host to some prestigious nuptials, including those of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on 10 February 1840.

The Prince and Princess of Wales's sons, Prince George and Prince Louis, were both christened at the Chapel Royal in 2013 and 2018 respectively.

Lady Gabriella herself was also baptised inside the church in June 1981.

Funeral takes place on poignant date

Nine years ago on 12 March 2015, Lady Gabriella was photographed with her new beau Thomas Kingston as they attended Cheltenham Festival together.

The financier wore a tweed jacket over a teal jumper, a white shirt and blue tie, while Lady Gabriella looked elegant in a grey jacket over a light roll-neck and a bright blue trilby hat.

Thomas 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.

Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston's love story

The pair began dating in around 2015 after being introduced by mutual friends. Thomas accompanied Lady Gabriella at a number of public outings, including Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' nuptials in 2017, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's royal wedding in 2018.

He proposed to Lady Gabriella on the Isle of Sark in August 2018, with Buckingham Palace announcing their engagement the following month.

The couple were wed at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle in May 2019 with the late Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Harry among the wedding guests.

Lady Gabriella wore an embroidered gown by Italian designer Luisa Beccaria with the Kent City of London Tiara – once worn by her grandmother, Princess Marina of Kent.

If you have been affected by this story and wish to seek help, Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year.