Thomas Kingston, the ex-boyfriend of Kate Middleton’s younger sister, Pippa, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the corner announced Friday.
He was 45 years old when he was found dead with a “catastrophic head injury” and a gun close to his body at his parents’ home in a Cotswalds village in England on Sunday, Feb. 25 (via the UK Telegraph).
Following his sudden death, his wife, Lady Gabriella Kingston, parents and siblings released a statement remembering him as “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,” they added.
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Buckingham Palace honored his life as well.
“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,” an official statement read.
“In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family.”
Thomas and Lady Gabriella, the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, walked down the aisle in 2019 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
He and Pippa, 40, ended their relationship around 2011 but remained friends. In fact, Thomas and Lady Gabriella attended Pippa’s May 2017 wedding to James Matthews.
Pippa and Matthews witnessed Thomas and Lady Gabriella tie the knot two years later.
Thomas and the news writer were last photographed together on Valentine’s Day while attending a London event to honor the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s “First Folio.”
They accompanied Queen Camilla, 76, while King Charles stayed behind as he received treatment for cancer.
A friend of Thomas and Lady Gabriella told the Daily Mail that they last mingled with the couple on Feb. 21, saying, “They seemed happy and positive as ever.”
Another pal described his death as “utterly shocking.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
