Inside tragic death of Lady Gabriella Windsor's husband Thomas Kingston as his final hours revealed
Thomas took his own life in February 2024
The grieving parents of Thomas Kingston, the late husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, have spoken out about the heartbreaking final moments of their son’s life.
Financier Thomas was found dead at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds on February 25, 2024, aged 45.
His cause of death was determined as a “traumatic head wound” with a gun found near his body. In the days leading up to his passing, his parents have said that he had stopped taking his antidepressant medication.
Lady Gabriella is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and the second cousin of King Charles.
Thomas Kingston’s parents open up about his final hours leading up to his death
Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Jill and Martin Kingston described the ordinary afternoon they spent with their son.
“He was normal, he was fun, we were laughing about various things. There was nothing that raised any suspicions in our mind,” Jill recalled.
I would have difficulty explaining to you what it was like without crying.
The family had shared lunch and later relaxed by the fire on the “cold February day”.
“We fell asleep – he fell asleep, I fell asleep,” Jill continued. “Martin, you decided to go for a walk, and then Tom got up and went to unload his car because he was bringing home some stuff they’d got in London, and it was going to be stored with us.”
However, when Jill later couldn’t find Thomas, Martin sensed something was wrong.
A senior coroner warned last month about the ‘risks of suicide’ associated with antidepressants after the death of Thomas Kingston.
His parents Jill and Martin speak to @EmmaBarnett about their son, and call for reforms around prescribing the types of SSRIs he’d taken.#R4Today
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) February 4, 2025
“I realised that one of the rooms in the outbuilding was locked… I had to break the door down,” he shared.
Overcome with emotion, Thomas’ father added: “I would have difficulty explaining to you what it was like without crying.”
During the inquest, it was revealed that Thomas had been struggling with stress and sleep difficulties.
He was initially prescribed sertraline (an SSRI antidepressant) and zopiclone (a sleeping tablet) by a GP at the Royal Mews Surgery.
However, he later returned to the surgery, saying the medication wasn’t helping, and was switched to citalopram, another antidepressant. In the days before his death, Thomas had stopped taking his medication.
Toxicology reports later showed caffeine and small amounts of zopiclone in his system, but no traces of antidepressants.
Thomas Kingston’s parents call for change
Thomas’ devastated parents are now advocating for greater awareness of the risks associated with antidepressants.
“There are two things that we would really like to see change,” Jill explained.
First, they want patients prescribed SSRIs to formally acknowledge that they’ve been told and understand the potential risks, including the dangers of stopping medication suddenly.
Secondly, they believe patients should have a support system in place, with a spouse, parent, or close friend being actively involved in their treatment.
What Lady Gabriella Windsor said about her husband’s death
Lady Gabriella Windsor, Thomas’ widow, echoed these concerns during a December inquest. She also suggested that his reaction to medication played a role in his death.
In her statement, read by senior coroner Katy Skerrett, Lady Gabriella said: “The lack of any evidence of inclination makes it 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.”
She also urged for better awareness of medication side effects, emphasising that tragedies like Thomas’ could happen to anyone.
“If this could happen to Tom, this could happen to anyone,” Lady Gabriella said.
While grappling with their loss, Jill and Martin Kingston hope to turn their grief into action, advocating for greater safeguards in mental health treatment.
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