A service of celebration: King’s cousin Lady Gabriella Kingston left ‘deeply touched’ after memorial service for late husband Thomas aged 45, who died from a ‘catastrophic head injury’

Mr Kingston, who died aged 45, was laid to rest in a private service on March 12

A service of celebration for the life of Lady Gabriella Windsor’s late husband was held in Kensington yesterday.

Lady Gabriella, daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, lost Thomas Kingston, 45, in February when he died from a ‘catastrophic head injury’.

Close friends and family of Mr Kingston, including some members of the Royal Family, attended yesterday’s service at St Mary Abbots church in West London. The King and Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, were not present.

A spokesperson for the family said: ‘Lady Gabriella and the Kingston family have been deeply touched by the outpouring of love, kindness and support they have received over the past difficult months. They were grateful today for the chance to celebrate – and give thanks for – the life of a wonderful man, among so many of those who knew and loved him too.’

Earlier this week Lady Gabriella, the King’s second cousin, was hugged by Zara Tindall during a day at Royal Ascot after she joined the traditional carriage procession.

It marked her first major public appearance since the death of Mr Kingston, who was a director at finance firm Davenport Capital in London. He had also worked in Baghdad as a hostage negotiator after joining the Diplomatic Missions Unit of the Foreign Office.

Mr Kingston was laid to rest in a private service on March 12.

Around 140 close friends and family, including Prince William, Lady Gabriella’s parents Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra, gathered at the Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace in London for the funeral.