Thomas Kingston, 45, the husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, passed away last month. A joint statement issued by his family read: "It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother.
"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."
The late businessman had a fairytale romance with the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, but what do you know of the financier? Read on to find out everything about Lady Gabriella's late husband...
Thomas and Gabriella's romance
Although it is not known exactly how Lady Gabriella and Thomas met, the financier mixed in royal circles for a number of years and the pair began dating in 2014. "I'm very happy to be with someone very special," Lady Gabriella told HELLO! after they had been dating for two years. "I'm very lucky."
In 2018, Thomas proposed during a trip to the Isle of Sark. Buckingham Palace announced the news of the engagement the following month, with a statement from Gabriella's parents which read: "Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor to Mr Thomas Kingston. The engagement took place in August; Mr Kingston proposed on the Isle of Sark."
Fairytale wedding
The pair tied the knot on 18 May 2019, with the wedding taking place in St George's Cathedral in Windsor Castle. Lady Gabriella wore an impressive four outfits for her nuptials and in an exclusive interview with HELLO!, she recounted the joy of her special day. "It was a magical day and Luisa [Beccaria] created a wonderful dress for me," she recalled. "This is the first time I've seen it since the wedding and it brings back so many happy memories."
The wedding was attended by the late Queen, and there was an incredibly touching moment when Lady Gabriella crouched down to hold the hand of her royal cousin. Other guests included Prince Harry and Princess Anne alongside members of the Middleton family.
Thomas's career
According to The Telegraph, Thomas graduated from Bristol University with a bachelor's degree in economic history before going on to work in the Diplomatic Missions Unit of the United Kingdom's Foreign Office. For almost three years, Thomas worked in Baghdad as a project officer for the Iraqi Institute of Peace to mediate conflicts in Iraq and even helped negotiate the release of hostages.
After this, he transitioned to finance, working as an equity analyst for Schroders, a global asset management firm. He then worked as the managing director of Voltan Capital Management until April 2017. Thomas was a director of Devonport Capital at the time of his death, which specialises in providing finance for companies in "frontier economies".
His first public appearance after marriage
In 2022, almost two years after marriage, Thomas joined his royal relatives at a memorial service for the late Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey before attending his first Trooping the Colour in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's annual birthday.
As well as his wife Lady Gabriella, Thomas was accompanied by his brother-in-law Lord Frederick Windsor and his wife Sophie at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral during the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June 2022.
How did Thomas die?
Mr Kingston was found deceased at an address in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening. Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 6pm.
He died from a "traumatic head wound" at his parents' home in the Cotswolds, an inquest into the financier's death revealed. Gloucestershire Coroner's Court opened the inquest on Friday 1 March, five days after Thomas' death.
Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, outlined the circumstances of the financier's death in a short hearing at court, 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 head. Having been satisfied with identification, initial cause of death and the brief circumstances surrounding Mr Kingston's death, I can formally open this inquest. I now adjourn it to a date to be fixed."
No members of the Kingston family were present although an official from the royal household attended.
Past romances
Thomas was previously linked to Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke, one of Prince William's ex-girlfriends when she was part of the Beaufort Polo Club set. In 2011, Thomas reportedly dated Princess Kate's sister, Pippa Middleton.
Although their romance didn't last, the pair have been pictured out together on various occasions over the years, including the Cheltenham races in March 2013 and during low-key outings in central London. Both Lady Gabriella and Thomas were guests at Pippa's wedding to James Matthews in 2017.
READ: Why did Lady Gabriella Windsor represent Prince William at Constantine's funeral?
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.