Latest news with #GabriellaWindsor
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lady Gabriella Windsor opens up about Kate Middleton's kind gesture towards her following her husband Thomas Kingston's death
Lady Gabriella Windsor praised the Princess of Wales in a rare interview as she opened up about working together shortly after her husband's death. Gabriella, fondly known as Ella, 44, was invited by the Princess to advise on her Together At Christmas carol service last year at Westminster Abbey. Kate's 'kind' gesture came only months after Gabriella's husband Thomas Kingston, 45, was found dead with a 'traumatic head wound' and a gun near his body in an outbuilding of his parents' Cotswolds home. Speaking exclusively to HELLO! Magazine, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and the second cousin of King Charles, said the Princess of Wales was 'lovely to work with' and called the royal invitation an 'honour'. 'It was such an honour to be involved, and very thoughtful and kind-hearted of the Princess to include me [in the carol concert]' she told the publication. 'I was very touched. She was so lovely to work with, always gracious, very creative and with so much vision and passion for the many charities and causes she supports'. Gabriella, a singer and songwriter, and the only member of the royal family to publish their own songs, also heaped praise on Kate, and described the annual Christmas gathering as a 'brilliant idea'. She told the publication: 'The Princess's carol concert is such a brilliant event and idea, to thank and shine a light on hundreds of the most outstanding charities in the UK.' She also expressed gratitude for having a hand in the project, of which she said her role was 'to support on the musical side of things, and to put forward artists and ideas'. The Oxford-graduate opened up about her new role as the patron of the charity Restore The Music. The foundation supports state school music departments and some of its musicians performed at Kate's concert last December. Founded by equity and managing partner of Elliott Investment, Gordon Singer, the foundation provides top notch musical instruments for schools across the country and has so far helped over 110,000 young people, reported Hello. 'Music can do so much to help build confidence, imagination and social skills - all of which are, I believe, essential to learning' said Gabriella in a statement on the Restor e The Music website. 'On a recent visit to a school served by Restore the Music I was dazzled by the student performances, Rachmaninoff on piano, jazz saxophone, drums and Spanish guitar. 'They transported us to another place - far from a school classroom. What a stunning snapshot of talent, teaching and world class instruments, funded by Restore the Music. 'It is such an honour to serve as Patron to this exceptional charity which creates opportunities for children to thrive through the power of music'. In February 2024, Gabriella's husband Thomas Kingston was found dead at his family's country mansion in Gloucestershire. He was 45. His father found him on forcing entry to a locked building after Mr Kingston had earlier visited for lunch with his parents, senior coroner Katy Skerrett said. Police and paramedics were called to the scene after a member of the family made a 999 call. Police said Mr Kingston's death was not suspicious. His now widow paid tribute to her husband in a joint statement with his family, describing him as an 'exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him' - and called his death a 'great shock to the whole family'. A statement released on behalf of Lady Gabriella Kingston, Mr Martin and Mrs Jill Kingston, Mrs Joanna Connolly and Mrs Emma Murray, said: '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'. Lady Gabriella released a personal photo she took of her husband, showing him smiling and dressed in a casual pink shirt as he stood near a stretch of water in the sunshine. The couple married at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in 2019 with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, among the guests. 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 is the King's second cousin. They are both great-grandchildren of King George V. Mr Kingston was a director of Devonport Capital, which specialises in providing finance for companies in 'frontier economies'. The Bristol University graduate had also worked in Baghdad, Iraq, working to procure the release of hostages after joining the Diplomatic Missions Unit of the Foreign Office. He was a close friend of Pippa Matthews - the Princess of Wales's sister - and the pair were said to have dated in 2011. Lady Gabriella, who has worked as an arts and travel director for a brand company, is a writer and contributing editor. She is also a singer-songwriter and released two bossa nova-inspired tracks in 2020 to raise money for charity. Although Lady Gabriella is not a working member of the royal family, she and Mr Kingston's family are being supported by the royal household. Friends of Thomas Kingston were left shocked by his death as they told how he and Lady Gabriella were 'happily married until the end'. At the time of the carol concert, Lady Gabriella was said to be a 'real member of the carol service team' and influential in choosing the musical performances. As a singer-songwriter who has previously released a charity single she brought her expertise to the concert. An insider told the Mail she 'enjoyed her role within the service and was excited to be a part of it', while the Princess was 'incredibly grateful for her contribution'. A friend added: 'She was very touched and grateful to the Princess to be asked to contribute to her very special concert. She felt honoured.' One of Lady Gabriella's personal touches was helping to engage youth charity Restore the Music, who played to guests as they queued to enter the service. Polly Moore, CEO of Restore the Music, said: 'Lady Gabriella is incredibly passionate about music and helping young people find their voice. 'She has been an ambassador for us for the past five years and often attends our events. 'When she messaged to ask if I would be interested I said, 'Are you kidding, of course!' 'She was incredibly approachable and a brilliant sounding board in the planning process. She's the most wonderful person. I'm extremely grateful to her.' Lady Gabriella helped choose singer Gregory Porter and pianist Rosey Chan to perform a specially-composed lyrical piece that was played alongside a poem read by actress Sophie Okonedo. Gabriella herself paid a sweet tribute to Kate, as she made the rare public outing. Walking side-by-side with Carole Middleton, she was pictured wearing a glittering pair of Kaye's preferred pieces of jewellery from Missoma. The Gold Zenyu Chandelier earrings were famously worn by the Princess of Wales on multiple occasions. Featuring a gold hoop connected to a splayed fan, they are finished with a trim of delicate gold bobbles, making them both festive and bohemian at the same time. They are plated in 18ct gold and retail for £139.
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Tragic royal Thomas Kingston's company owes creditors £30million - after inquest told of depression struggle. RICHARD EDEN exclusive
His death – intolerably sudden, as it was – left friends stunned and shocked, and his wife, Lady Gabriella Windsor, heartbroken. But now, 14 months later, more light can be shed on the scale and scope of Thomas Kingston's business ambitions and perhaps also on some of the pressures that the 45-year-old former hostage negotiator was contending with. After serving in the Foreign Office – notably in Baghdad, during the worst years of the Iraq War when he inspired a colleague to describe him as 'one of the most remarkable people I have ever worked with' – Kingston plunged into the financial world. By 2017 – two years before his marriage to Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's daughter Ella, 44, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip – he became a director of Devonport Capital, which specialises in providing finance for companies involved in post-war reconstruction. The company, of which Kingston was joint owner, has now been put into administration. A preliminary statement shows that Devonport Capital owes creditors a staggering £29.5million. Kingston and his fellow director and joint owner, Paul Bailey, had secured the backing of New Zealand-born billionaire Christopher Chandler, who helped finance the television channel GB News. Such was Chandler's faith in the duo that he'd invested millions in Devonport – and is currently owed nearly £13million by the company. His Majesty's Revenue & Customs is owed £788,000, though that's dwarfed by the £1.67million which Devonport owed to another of Kingston's companies, Aberdair Ltd. The pair at Royal Ascot in 2023. At the inquest into Thomas's death, it emerged that he had struggled with depression and had been taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as anti-depressants – but had stopped taking them. Tom's father, the eminent barrister Martin Kingston, is personally owed £162,000. All of this might suggest that Kingston had been overwhelmed by a sea of debt. But that would appear to be inaccurate: Devonport was, and is, in a position to return all money to investors and creditors – and still have a £2.5million surplus. 'In February 2024, the decision was taken to wind down the business of Devonport Capital,' a spokesman tells me. 'Having made significant progress realising and securing funds, it became clear earlier this year that the best way to ensure fair and proper allocation of outstanding recoveries was to place the business into administration.' But perhaps in his last days Kingston had, tragically, lost sight of this. At the inquest into his death, it emerged that he had struggled with depression and had been taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as anti-depressants – but had stopped taking them. His wife, in a statement read out on her behalf, said: '[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.' The coroner ruled that Thomas was suffering adverse effects of medication prescribed by his doctor. This prompted his parents to call for a change in how SSRIs are prescribed, with his father making an appearance on Radio 4's Today programme. Patients, he argued, should be told explicitly about the potential side effects of the medication – including the possible consequences if they stop taking it.
