Of all the problems that have afflicted the Royal Family this year, none has been more devastating than the tragic death of Thomas Kingston, the 45-year-old husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor.
Handsome and popular, Tom died from what was described as a traumatic head injury in February. A gun was found near his body in an outbuilding of his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.
This weekend will be particularly poignant for Lady Gabriella as Saturday marks the fifth anniversary of her wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, a joyous occasion with the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip among the guests.
Now, the Royal Family is coming together once again, this time to help Lady Gabriella, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, recover from the ordeal.
Thomas Kingston’s family, in collaboration with royalty, have organized a large memorial service for him following the private funeral.
The couple married in 2019 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, with the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip among the guests.
I can reveal that Their Majesties have invited Ella, as she is known to her friends, to attend the King’s Birthday Parade next month.
The parade is the formal name of Trooping the Color and an appearance on the occasion would be the first time she has been seen in public since her husband’s death.
“Everyone expects Ella to attend the celebrations, if she feels up to it,” a royal source tells me. “It would be a powerful sign of the Family’s love and concern for her.”
It is unclear whether Lady Gabriella will be invited to join the King and Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the traditional aerial parade when the parade ends.
King Charles and Queen Camilla invited Lady Gabriella, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (pictured), to Trooping the Colour, and previously stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
She, as she is known to her friends, moved back with her parents to their Kensington Palace home last month as she continues to recover from the loss of her husband.
Thomas, Lady Gabriella Windsor’s 45-year-old husband, died on February 25 as a result of a “traumatic head injury.” A gun was found near his body.
Along with other young royals, Ella had made regular balcony appearances until the arrival of Covid-19 in early 2020.
When the pandemic ended and Trooping the Color returned, Queen Elizabeth only invited “working royals” to join her, thus avoiding the embarrassment of her son, Prince Andrew, who had been stripped of his public duties, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who had stepped away from their royal duties with ‘The Firm’.
If Lady Gabriella feels able to attend the King’s Birthday Parade and the private lunch that will follow, it would be useful preparation for an even more important date on her calendar the following weekend.
I can reveal that Tom’s family, in association with the royals, have organized a huge memorial service for him. Some of his friends have already been invited. “It will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate his life,” one tells me.
Most were not invited to his funeral in March. This was a small and, I am told, “very emotional” gathering at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace, the scene of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s marriage in 1840 and Prince George’s christening in 2013.
Tom’s body had been transported in a hearse in a funeral procession from Kensington Palace. Lady Gabriella was joined by her parents, her brother, Lord Frederick Windsor, and her wife, actress Sophie Winkleman.
The coroner who formally opened the inquest into Tom’s death said police were satisfied he was not a suspect. The investigation has been postponed.
Last month, I revealed that Ella had moved back with her parents to their home at Kensington Palace.
“They wanted Ella to be with them and she didn’t want to be alone in the house she shared with Tom,” one of her friends told me at the time.
“We’re all coming together and she’ll be fine.”
Lady Gabriella, 43, whose father is the late queen’s first cousin, had previously lived in the Notting Hill area of west London with Tom.
Following the financier’s death, a spokesman for King Charles and Queen Camilla said they had sent “their deepest thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and the entire Kingston family.”
I hope the King’s Birthday Parade and the warm embrace of the Royal Family prove to be Lady Gabriella’s first step on the steep road to recovery.
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