Lady Gabriella Kingston makes rare appearance amid difficult year

Lady Gabriella Kingston made a rare public appearance on Friday as she stepped out to support the Princess of Wales at her annual Christmas carol service.

The writer, 43, was among the 1,600 guests at Westminster Abbey, joining her parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and her brother, Lord Frederick Windsor and his family.

Lady Gabriella, who was dressed in an olive green coat, arrived alongside her cousin, Lady Helen Taylor – daughter of the Duke of Kent.

She was last seen publicly in June, when she joined the royal family at Royal Ascot.

The festive event comes just days after an inquest was held into the death of Lady Gabriella’s husband, Thomas Kingston.

The financier, 45, died from a shotgun wound to the head at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds on 25 February.

In Lady Gabriella’s witness statement, which was read out at the inquest at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, the grieving widow said people need to be warned about the effects of medications used to treat mental health conditions to prevent a similar fate happening to anyone else.

Thomas was initially given sertraline, a drug used to treat depression, and zopiclone, a sleeping tablet, by a GP at the Royal Mews Surgery, a practice at Buckingham Palace used by royal household staff, after complaining of trouble sleeping following stress at work.

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Lady Gabriella wrote: “[Work] was certainly a challenge for him over the years, but I highly doubt it would have led him to take his own life, and it seemed much improved. 

“If anything had been troubling him, I’m positive that he would have shared that he was struggling severely. The fact that he took his life at the home of his beloved parents suggests the decision was the result of a sudden impulse.” 

Thomas’s doctor later switched him from sertraline to citalopram, a similar drug, after he returned to the surgery because it was not making him feel better.

In the days leading up to his death, he had stopped taking medication, and toxicology tests showed caffeine and small amounts of zopiclone in his system.

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Lady Gabriella added: “The lack of any evidence of inclination it seems highly likely to me that he had an adverse reaction to the pills that led him to take his life.

“I believe anyone taking pills such as these need to be made more aware of the side effects to prevent any future deaths. If this could happen to Tom, this could happen to anyone.”

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Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, concluded at the inquest: “Mr Kingston took his own life using a shotgun which caused a severe traumatic wound to the head.

“The evidence of his wife, family and business partner all supports his lack of suicidal intent.

“He was suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed.”

Thomas and Lady Gabriella tied the knot at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in May 2019, having dated for several years.

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.