Lady Gabriella Kingston's husband, Thomas Kingston, passed away last month aged 45. His death was announced with the "deepest sorrow" from his family, with Buckingham Palace also confirming the news.
In a statement released on behalf of Lady Gabriella, Mr Martin and Mrs Jill Kingston, Mrs Joanna Connolly and Mrs Emma Murray on Tuesday, the family shared that Mr Kingston's death has "come as a great shock to the whole family".
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "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. In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family."
Lady Gabriella Windsor is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
Lady Gabriella Kingston, formerly known as Lady Gabriella Windsor, is 56th in line to the British throne behind her niece, Isabella Windsor.
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's only daughter was born at the Lindo wing of St Mary's hospital in London on 23 April 1981. Her father, Prince Michael, is cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and Gabriella maintained a close relationship with Her Late Majesty throughout her life.
At Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state in September 2022, Lady Gabriella appeared to collapse when the late monarch's coffin was seen arriving at Westminster Hall.
Lady Gabriella's early life and career
Lady Gabriella grew up at Kensington Palace in an apartment paid for by Queen Elizabeth II. She and her family lived there until 2008 when members of Parliament ordered Prince and Princess Michael to pay the full market-rate amount of £120,000 for the property.
The royal later studied Comparative Literature and Social Anthropology at Brown and Oxford universities.
While she does not carry out royal duties, Lady Gabriella is currently a freelance writer and contributes to an array of publications, including The London Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, Sustainable First and Cabana magazine. Lady Gabriella was formerly a HELLO! magazine columnist.
The talented royal is also a singer-songwriter, and in 2020, she released two songs; 'Out of Blue' and 'Bam Bam' for charity.
Lady Gabriella's brother is Lord Frederick Windsor
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have two children; Lord Frederick Windsor, 44, and Lady Gabriella Kingston, 42.
Lady Gabriella's older brother is married to British actress Sophie Winkleman. They tied the knot in a lavish ceremony on 12 September 2009 before going on to welcome two daughters called Maud and Isabella.
Gabriella and Thomas Kingston'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 popped the question 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."
Their fairytale nuptials at Windsor Castle
The royal tied the knot to financier Thomas Kingston in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on 19 May 2019 – the very same venue where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wed in May 2018, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank got married in October the same year.
On her big day, Gabriella, known as "Ella" wore an impressive four outfits 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.
Queen Elizabeth II was one of the guests at Gabriella and Thomas' wedding, where a special moment was caught between them and quickly went viral on social media.
In the touching image shared on Instagram by the Prince Dimitri Jewellery page, Gabriella could be seen bending down and holding the Queen's hand as they spoke. The monarch, dressed in a pink hat and coat, was beaming back at the newlywed.
Other guests included Prince Harry and Princess Anne alongside members of the Middleton family.