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Thomas Kingston, the husband of Prince William's cousin Lady Gabriella Kingston, was found dead at his parents' home in Gloucestershire, England, on Sunday with a "catastrophic head injury" and a gun present at the scene, a coroner announced on Friday. Police do not believe the death was suspicious.
The Context
Kingston married Lady Gabriella Windsor, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, in 2019 at a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II and senior royals. A statement on behalf of King Charles III on Tuesday described Kingston as a "much loved member" of the extended royal family.
What We Know
On February 27, Buckingham Palace issued an announcement on behalf of Lady Gabriella and the Kingston family that Thomas Kingston had died at the age of 45.
"It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother," they 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."
At the time, no cause of death was given, and the announcement was followed by a statement from King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who were photographed with Gabriella and Kingston at the Royal Ascot horseraces last summer.
'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," they said.
"In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family."
An official inquest into the death was opened in the county of Gloucestershire, where the Kingston family home is situated, on Friday.
Senior coroner Katy Skerrett revealed during the inquest that Kingston had died from a "traumatic wound to the head."
"Mr Kingston was visiting his parents home in the Cotswolds on 25 February. He ate lunch with his parents," she said, per The Daily Telegraph.
"His father went out to walk the dogs. On his return, Mr. Kingston was not in the house. After approximately 30 minutes, his mother went to look for him.
"His father forced entry into an outbuilding when he couldn't gain entry. Mr Kingston was found inside with a catastrophic head injury. A gun was present at the scene.
"Emergency services were called. Police are satisfied the death is not suspicious."
Views
So far, there have been no further statements on behalf of Lady Gabriella or other members of the royal family about Kingston's death.
Rev. Canon Andrew White, who knew Kingston while he was serving with the Foreign Office in Baghdad where he spent time as a hostage negotiator, has paid tribute to his bravery.
"I loved him so much. The thing about Tom was he was never scared," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Whatever I asked him to do, he would do it with a big smile on his face in the middle of a war zone."
What's Next?
When Kingston married Lady Gabriella, he did so at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, the same chapel that King Charles III and Queen Camilla had their wedding blessed in, and where Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in 2018.
As an extended member of the royal family and with senior royals likely to attend, it is possible that a funeral service will be held for Kingston at the chapel, though this will be a private family event.
No funeral plans have yet been announced, with any further updates expected to be released through Buckingham Palace.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Update 3/1/24, 10:33 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 3/1/24, 11:20 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more