RICHARD EDEN: The heartfelt royal gesture to help Lady Gabriella Windsor recover after the tragic death of her husband Thomas Kingston - and what this 'powerful signal' really means

Of all the troubles to 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 wound in February. A gun was found near his body in an outbuilding at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.

This weekend will be particularly poignant for Lady Gabriella, as Saturday is the fifth anniversary of her wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor - a joyful occasion with the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip among the guests.

Now, the Royal Family is rallying round once again, this time to help Lady Gabriella - daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent - to recover from the ordeal.

Thomas Kingston's family, in partnership with the royals, have organised a big memorial service for him following the very 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 by friends, to attend the King’s Birthday Parade next month.

The parade is the formal name for Trooping the Colour and an appearance at the occasion would be the first time she has been seen in public since her husband’s death.

‘Everyone hopes that Ella will attend the celebrations, if she feels up to it,’ a royal source tells me. ‘It would be a powerful signal of the Family’s love and concern for her.’

It is not clear if Lady Gabriella will be invited to join the King and Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the traditional fly-past when the parade is over.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have invited Lady Gabriella, daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent (pictured), to Trooping the Colour - and have previously stood on the Buckingham Palace balcony

Ella, as she is known by friends, last month moved back in with her parents at their home in Kensington Palace as she continues to recover from the loss of her husband

Thomas, the 45-year-old husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, died on February 25 as a result of a 'traumatic head wound'. A gun was found near his body

Along with other junior royals, Ella had made regular appearances on the balcony until the arrival of Covid-19 in early 2020.

When the pandemic was over and Trooping the Colour returned, Queen Elizabeth invited only ‘working royals’ to join her, so sparing the blushes of her son Prince Andrew, who had been stripped of public duties, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who had stepped back from royal duties with ‘The Firm’.

If Lady Gabriella does feel 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 in her calendar the following weekend.

I can disclose that Tom’s family, in partnership with the royals, have organised a big memorial service for him. Some of his friends have already been invited. ‘It will be a wonderful chance to celebrate his life,’ one tells me.

Most were not invited to his funeral in March. This was a small and, I’m told, ‘highly emotional’ gathering at the Chapel Royal within St James’s Palace – the setting for the marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1840 and the Christening of Prince George in 2013

Tom’s body had been carried by hearse in a funeral procession from Kensington Palace. Lady Gabriella was joined by her parents, her brother, Lord Frederick Windsor, and his wife, the actress Sophie Winkleman.

The coroner who formally opened the inquest into Tom’s death said police were satisfied it was not suspicious. The inquest has been adjourned.

Last month, I disclosed that Ella had moved back in with her parents at their home in Kensington Palace.

‘They wanted Ella to be with them, and she didn’t want to be alone in the home she shared with Tom,’ one of her friends told me at the time.

‘All of us are rallying round and she’s going to be OK.’

Lady Gabriella, 43, whose father is a first cousin of the late Queen, had previously lived in the Notting Hill area of West London with Tom.

After the financier’s death, King Charles and Queen Camilla’s spokesman said they had sent ‘their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family’.

I hope the King’s Birthday Parade and the warm embrace of the Royal Family will prove to be Lady Gabriella’s first step on the steep road to recovery.

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