Prince and Princess Michael of Kent keep calm and carry on after death of Tom Kingston
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The presence of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent at a memorial service for an esteemed friend of the Royal family went almost unnoticed on Tuesday.
Dressed in black coats, the Princess keeping warm with a fur collar tied with a ribbon, they blended in seamlessly with the British and European royals flocking to commemorate the life of King Constantine of Greece.
They sat in the second row, occasionally exchanging words and studying their orders of service. At one point, Princess Michael raised her eyes skywards to take in the glories of St George’s Chapel, the site of so many special occasions.
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In 2019, in fact, it was the scene of Lady Gabriella Windsor, the couple’s daughter, and Tom Kingston’s wedding, with the happy couple surrounded by spring flower arrangements, nine small flower girls and page boys, and Elizabeth II in attendance.
Unbeknownst to the public, the solemn faces in the pews on Tuesday were not just a reflection of the loss of King Constantine a year earlier, but a tragedy much closer to home.
Mr Kingston had died suddenly two days earlier at the age of 45.
The news had not yet been announced, and all had hoped to keep it private a little longer to allow their beloved daughter, nicknamed Ella, to grieve.
The epitome of their “keep calm and carry on” generation, Prince and Princess Michael chose to honour their commitment to the man known to them as Tino, so as not to raise suspicions about their absence.
The decision, it is understood, was made with their family.
Lady Gabriella was a goddaughter of King Constantine and would otherwise have been there.
Her brother Lord Frederick Windsor, and his wife Sophie Winkleman, also did not attend the service, believed to be comforting her and helping with the practicalities of such tragically early widowhood.
A source confirmed that Prince and Princess Michael were aware of Mr Kingston’s death, but did not want to cause alarm or raise questions by their absence.
In the event, attention was drawn to the service by a different absence – that of the Prince of Wales who pulled out at the last minute citing a “personal matter” that Kensington Palace would not explain.
While the congregation assembled at Windsor Castle, some travelling in by coach, news of the Kingston family tragedy began to spread among them.
Those who knew him and loved Lady Gabriella since birth composed themselves in front of the world’s media, paying their respects at an hour-long service before retreating for a private reception.
At 81 and 79 respectively, Prince and Princess Michael afforded the final respect to King Constantine by refusing to allow his memorial to be derailed.
They also bought a little time for their daughter before her news was made public.
It was the sort of duty, personal sacrifice and stiff upper lip expected by the late Queen’s generation.
As one observer could not help but remark upon, it would have been deeply appreciated by her, the Greek royal family and most probably the King as well.
Obituary
Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor
It had been hoped that public confirmation of Mr Kingston’s death could wait until the next day.
But in an imperfect world, the spreading whispers meant it had to come sooner.
At 6pm, six hours after the Windsor service finished, Buckingham Palace said: “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.
“In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family.”
