The Death & Memorial Service of Thomas Kingston, Husband of Lady Gabriella Kingston

[Princess B]

Who would’ve thought that the smiling man behind the photo (on Valentine’s Day) would commit suicide less than two weeks later.
My heart goes out to his wife and family. Processing an untimely death is never easy, let alone a death by suicide.
I hope and pray his troubled soul Rests in peace and his family have strength to go through this unimaginable loss.

 

[Lemon Lyman]

This is such tragic news. Thomas clearly wanted to spend some time with his parents on his last day. For the family it must have been clear what happened from the start but they may have needed some time to process what happened before publicizing it to the world.

Is it common in the UK that the BBC and other news outlets talk about the cause of his death in such a roundabout way? In the Netherlands, they would have been more forthcoming and name it by what it unfortunately is (and include a reference to a suicide hotline at the end of the article).

In the UK the cause of death will only be ascertained at an inquest by a Coroner. These details have come out at the opening of the inquest. This normally allows for the persons body to be released to the family for a funeral. The full inquest will take place at a later date (can be years if the investigation is lengthy) and they will then decide a formal verdict - suicide, death by misadventure, natural causes etc etc. Sadly the press will cover the full inquest so it won’t be last we hear. The BBC won’t use the words suicide until the inquest has reached a verdict as they would be pre-empting the legal process

 

[Royalist.in.NC]

In the UK the cause of death will only be ascertained at an inquest by a Coroner. These details have come out at the opening of the inquest. This normally allows for the persons body to be released to the family for a funeral. The full inquest will take place at a later date (can be years if the investigation is lengthy) and they will then decide a formal verdict - suicide, death by misadventure, natural causes etc etc. Sadly the press will cover the full inquest so it won’t be last we hear. The BBC won’t use the words suicide until the inquest has reached a verdict as they would be pre-empting the legal process

Thank you for this info - it makes sense now why they are not calling it a suicide at this point.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

How will an event like this be explained to the nephews and nieces of Thomas?

 

[Elly C]

It’s dreadful that these events will
take place under the spotlight . It’s a family tragedy and hopefully will be reported with sensitivity.

 

[Alison H]

A member of the Royal Household attended the inquest, so it seems that the Palace is doing its best to support Ella and the rest of the family at this horrible time.

 

[MarleneKoenig]

I recall reading that he and Lady Gabriella lived in Notting Hill.

Wonder if the place in Gloucestershire was a country hideaway or something?

It was his parents' home

 

[Curryong]

This is of course a terrible shock for Lady Gabriella and all Thomas’s loved ones. And also a traumatic one for Thomas’s elderly father who had to break into an outhouse in the grounds of his own home, to find his dead son with a gun beside him. How do you ever overcome something like that?

 

[suztav]

I haven't seen anything about funeral arrangements, so I hope this means that it was/will be private w/o any press. They should be able to grieve in private.

 

[hereditarytitles]

I haven't either. But you never know what the DM comes up with . As soon as members of the BRF are attending the funeral and I am sure there will be many of them, they will send their paps or photographers .
As long as they are keeping themselves decently in the background, it is ok. His widow, Gabriella, is a member of British Royalty , so there is public interest in the funeral.

 

[tommy100]

I would hope the press would stay away out of...I'd say decency but we know most of the press doesn't have any...so maybe out of a sense that the public wouldn't stand it.
A part of me is expecting the funeral to be at Windsor where it can be carried out behind closed doors giving a very shocked and emotional family time to grieve and pay their respects in private.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I haven't seen anything about funeral arrangements, so I hope this means that it was/will be private w/o any press. They should be able to grieve in private.

Same here… I hope the press stays far away… I wouldn’t be surprised if Charles will let them use the chapel in Windsor Great Park, or perhaps the nave in St George’s Chapel during a day when Windsor Castle i closed (usually tuesdays and wednesdays) to give them maximal privacy.

 

[tommy100]

I think, at the least, Charles would offer. He sent meals from Clarence House round to Sophie Winkleman - aka Lady Frederick Windsor - and her family after her car accident, I can't see him not doing anything he can to help Gabriella and Thomas' family out.

 

[Zonk]

What a terrible tragedy for the Ella and the Kingston family.

 

[An Ard Ri]

God help Lady Gabriella and the family of Mr Kingston as the funeral arrangements are made and hopefully it will be a private affair out of the media's glare!

 

[Sister Morphine]

In the UK the cause of death will only be ascertained at an inquest by a Coroner. These details have come out at the opening of the inquest. This normally allows for the persons body to be released to the family for a funeral. The full inquest will take place at a later date (can be years if the investigation is lengthy) and they will then decide a formal verdict - suicide, death by misadventure, natural causes etc etc. Sadly the press will cover the full inquest so it won’t be last we hear. The BBC won’t use the words suicide until the inquest has reached a verdict as they would be pre-empting the legal process

Here in the U.S., the cause of death is determined by a medical examiner/coroner during the autopsy, but if the police are called to a scene with someone suffering from a catastrophic head wound and a gun lying nearby, the media won't hesitate to call it a suicide because that's what it is. Not unless the police stated there was visible evidence that the wound wasn't self-inflicted. Of course, the family of the deceased can always challenge the autopsy results if they don't think it was suicide, but more often than not, what appears to have happened is what happened.

 

[Iluvbertie]

In the UK the pathologist will determine cause of death medically but the final determination on suicide or some other cause will be made by the coroner in a court room. The pathologist will give the findings from the autopsy but the police and family and friends will also be asked to give evidence if that will help determine the cause of death. A pathologist can't decide legally whether a gun shot wound was suicide or murder or an accident. The pathologist determines death by gun shot and that is all. In the UK the coroner is a judge, with some level of legal training, while the pathologist is a qualified medical doctor.

 

[Mirabel]

Does anyone know where Gabriella is living now?
She and her husband had a flat in Notting Hill, but it's been placed on the market recently.
Anyway, I doubt she'd want to stay there at this time.

 

[Granada]

Hopefully Gabriella is staying with Family or Friends ? Her Parents home at Kensington Palace is certainly large enough. Poor Lady.
And what about Thomas's poor Parents ? My God. To live at the House where he killed himself ? He went there, had lunch with his Parents. Then this.
Just so heartbreaking all around. I know The Kingston's are wealthy and have another holiday home on the Isle of Sark. Which is where Thomas proposed to Ella.

 

[Mirabel]

KP would probably be the best choice for now; the press can't access it.

 

[carlota]

they will likely make sure they have photographers in the outskirts for when the remains leave KP.

 

[Biri]

I think Thomas' coffin will not be transferred to KP, but will stay in the chapel in the parish his parents belong to.

And he will e buried in the cemetery nearby.

 

[Alisa]

The reports were that the gunshot wound resulted in a "catastrophic" head injury. Perhaps the family will opt for a cremation instead of a burial.

 

[Saragli]

Hopefully Gabriella is staying with Family or Friends ? Her Parents home at Kensington Palace is certainly large enough. Poor Lady.
And what about Thomas's poor Parents ? My God. To live at the House where he killed himself ? He went there, had lunch with his Parents. Then this.
Just so heartbreaking all around. I know The Kingston's are wealthy and have another holiday home on the Isle of Sark. Which is where Thomas proposed to Ella.

I suppose, if I were his parents, I would try to take comfort that he wanted to spend his last moments of life with his parents at his family home. It's a small solace, but in these situations, the smallest solace can be a real anchor.

 

[doro]

Hopefully Gabriella is staying with Family or Friends ? Her Parents home at Kensington Palace is certainly large enough. Poor Lady.
And what about Thomas's poor Parents ? My God. To live at the House where he killed himself ? He went there, had lunch with his Parents. Then this.
Just so heartbreaking all around. I know The Kingston's are wealthy and have another holiday home on the Isle of Sark. Which is where Thomas proposed to Ella.

If I were them, I would leave this home.

 

[maria-olivia]

Coverpage of Point de Vue Gabriella and Thomas = Tragedie . They did not had a coverpage for ther Wedding.
Point de vue is now a people magazine.

 

[Mirabel]

If I were them, I would leave this home.

That's how I feel too.
I would never be able to remain there, it would be impossible to see that outbuilding every day.

 

[Curryong]

Thomas’s parents have a beautiful home. However, I just can’t see how the pleasure in the house, the gardens wouldn’t be coloured by memories of their son’s last day on earth, his last lunch with them and their conversations. Let alone what his elderly father saw in that outhouse. Much better to buy another home elsewhere.

 

[muriel]

Thomas’s parents have a beautiful home. However, I just can’t see how the pleasure in the house, the gardens wouldn’t be coloured by memories of their son’s last day on earth, his last lunch with them and their conversations. Let alone what his elderly father saw in that outhouse. Much better to buy another home elsewhere.

We each have to deal with what life serves up for us, and each of us deals with matters differently. Whilst I am very sympathetic to the trauma that the Kingston family must face every day of their lives, and especially the physicality of seeing that outbuilding, it is their family home. It is where they brought up their children, it is probably where a million cherished memories were formed over decades, it is where they had their last lunch with their son. How they choose to move forward from here is one for them to decide. Personally, I would not like to speculate.

 

[Alison H]

The funeral took place today. Prince William attended, along with members of the Kent family.

Thomas Kingston: Private funeral held for Lady Gabriella's husband

The Prince of Wales, the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra were among those present, alongside Lady Gabriella and Mr Kingston's family.

news.sky.com