On February 25, Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent and second cousin of King Charles III, died at the age of 45.
On March 1, the cause of his death was revealed: “A traumatic head injury.”
A firearm was found next to the body, found in his parents' house in Gloucestershire, according to coroner Katy Skerrett.
His untimely death caused a great shock to the British royal family, which Prince William represented with his attendance, this Tuesday, March 12, at Kingston's funeral.
His presence is especially relevant, furthermore, because it has occurred in the midst of the controversy over the retouched photo of his wife, Kate Middleton, which has unleashed a crisis of credibility in the British monarchy.
Some 140 guests, including Lady Gabriella's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, attended the private church service at St James's Palace in London.
The ceremony lasted around an hour and was conducted by the Reverend Paul Wright, Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal, and the Reverend Richard Chartres, former Bishop of London.
The funeral was followed by a reception at St James's Palace and a private cremation service.
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The manipulation of Kate Middleton's photo unleashes a crisis of credibility in the British monarchy
The presence of William of England, heir to the crown, was confirmed a day after Kate Middleton, convalescing after an abdominal surgery she underwent in January and of which no further details have been given, apologized for the “confusion” generated after she herself retouched the photo with her three children taken by her husband at the beginning of last week.
The photograph was released on Sunday on the occasion of Mother's Day in the United Kingdom and fueled speculation about her health.
The Prince of Wales attended the religious service alone, due to his recovery that continues to keep his wife away from his royal duties.
The same occurs with the king, Charles III – Lady Gabriella's second cousin – who has also postponed his public agenda while he receives treatment for the cancer of which it was learned that he had been diagnosed at the beginning of February.
Nor was Queen Camilla among the attendees, who is replacing the monarch in many of his duties while her husband focuses on his health and this was the case this Tuesday, when Kingston's funeral coincided with a reception at Buckingham Palace.
Even so, it is expected that another funeral on a larger scale will be held later, which could be attended by more colleagues, friends and, this time, more members of the British royal family.
Following the news of the death of the son-in-law of Duke Michael of Kent, the British royal house issued a statement joining the mourning “for a very beloved member of the family.”
“In particular, Her Majesties send their deepest thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and the entire Kingston family,” the text read.
Gabriella and the deceased's parents, Martin and Jim Kingston, also made public their own message: “Tom was an exceptional man who illuminated the lives of all who knew him.
His death has been a great shock to the entire family and we ask that you respect our privacy as we mourn his passing.”
Photo of the wedding of Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston, in 2019, attended by several members of the British royal family, including the then monarch, Elizabeth II.Hugo Burnand (GTRES)
Thomas and Lady Gabriella met in 2014 thanks to mutual friends and married in 2019 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, in the presence of Elizabeth II, Philip of Edinburgh, Prince Henry, Beatrice of York and Sarah Ferguson. .
Less than two weeks before her death, the couple were photographed on Valentine's Day, joining Queen Camilla to open an exhibition of Shakespeare's works.
Kingston worked as a director of Davenport Capital, a company specializing in providing financing to companies operating in developing countries.
After the causes of his death were announced, the coroner assured that the investigations will continue on a date yet to be determined.
“The police are convinced that the death is not suspicious,” the expert clarified in relation to the possible involvement of third parties in the case.
That February 25, Thomas had lunch with his parents, according to the investigation.
“His father went out to walk the dogs.
Upon his return, Mr. Kingston was not at home and after approximately 30 minutes his mother went to look for him.
His father forced his way into a locked building when he couldn't get a response.
The emergency services received a call at six in the afternoon and arrived at the scene,” the coroner reported.
Nothing can be done to save his life.