Royal Financier's £8 Million Debt Crisis Exposed After Tragic Suicide
The full financial turmoil faced by Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, before his tragic suicide has been laid bare in a devastating new report. The 45-year-old financier, who married into the Royal Family, died from self-inflicted shotgun wounds in February 2024 at his parents' Cotswolds home, with a firearm discovered nearby.
Medication and Work Stress Linked to Death
An inquest into Mr Kingston's death revealed he had been prescribed sertraline for anxiety and depression, along with the sleeping tablet zopiclone, by a GP at the Royal Mews Surgery in Buckingham Palace. This followed complaints of insomnia linked to work-related stress. Lady Gabriella Windsor warned the coroner about the side effects of such medications, stating in a heartfelt statement: "I believe anyone taking pills such as these need to be made more aware of the side effects to prevent any future deaths. If this could happen to Tom, this could happen to anyone."
Senior coroner Katy Skerrett concluded that Mr Kingston took his own life while suffering adverse effects from recently prescribed medication, which followed a period of intense stress at work. Lady Gabriella noted that while work had been challenging, she doubted it alone would have led to suicide, suggesting his decision appeared impulsive.
Devonport Capital's Crippling Debt Uncovered
Now, forensic accountants have disclosed that Mr Kingston's investment firm, Devonport Capital Limited, faces an £8.1 million shortfall, leaving creditors to receive only 71% of what they are owed. The company's total debt was £27.9 million, with a residual amount of £19.8 million available for repayment after administration.
Key creditors include Christopher Chandler in Dubai, owed £12.8 million and facing a loss of approximately £3.7 million, and HMRC, owed £788,226 but set to recover only around £560,000. Notably, Mr Kingston's father, Martin Kingston, a respected barrister, is listed as owed £162,000, with an expected loss of £47,000.
Desperate Efforts to Save the Firm
Mr Kingston had invested £1.6 million of his own funds into Devonport Capital in a bid to rescue the business, supported by his family. However, the firm's financial position deteriorated due to two underperforming loans totalling £48 million, which administrators are still struggling to collect.
A recent report highlighted that hoped-for payments from a renewables business in India, owed £34.57 million, have not materialised. Additionally, an African gold mining company in Ghana owes £2.1 million and is failing to meet scheduled repayments, though it is paying back between £37,000 and £74,000 weekly.
The administrators noted that collecting these debts has proven "far from straightforward," with the company now moving from administration into liquidation.
A Royal Love Story Cut Short
Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella Windsor met through mutual friends in 2014, with Mr Kingston having previously dated Pippa Middleton. He proposed during a trip to the Isle of Sark in 2018, and they married at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in May 2019, in a ceremony attended by the late Queen and other royals.
Following his death, Buckingham Palace released a statement describing Mr Kingston as a "beloved husband, son and brother" and "an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him." The tragedy underscores the hidden pressures behind a seemingly successful life, blending personal struggle with financial collapse in a stark warning about mental health and corporate debt.
