Thomas Kingston: Coroner issues warning over depression medication after death of Lady Gabriella Kingston’s husband
A coroner has warned about the effects of depression medication after the husband of the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter took his own life.
Thomas Kingston, a 45-year-old financier, was found dead on 25 February last year at his parents’ home in the Cotswolds.
Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, has said action must be taken over the risk of suicide to patients after finding he was “suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed”.
Mr Kingston married Lady Gabriella, 43, at Windsor Castle in 2019, with Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh among the guests.
The inquest into his death at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court last year was told he had initially been given sertraline, a drug used to treat mental health problems, and zopiclone, a sleeping tablet, after complaining of trouble sleeping following stress at work.
But after they did not have the desired impact, a GP switched him from sertraline to citalopram. In the days leading up to his death, Mr Kingston stopped taking medication.
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Thomas Kingston and Lady Gabriella Windsor on their wedding day. Pic: PA
In a prevention of future deaths report, Ms Skerrett questioned whether there is adequate communication of the risks of suicide associated with such medication.
She also raised concerns about whether the current guidance to persist with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications, or switch to an alternative SSRI medication, is appropriate when no benefit has been achieved – “especially when any adverse side effects are being experienced”.
The report was sent to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Royal College of General Practitioners, who have 56 days to respond.
The coroner’s concerns echo those of Mr Kingston’s wife, Lady Gabriella, who warned about the effects of the drugs during the inquest.
Lady Gabriella is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Pic: PA
A statement by Lady Gabriella, read out by Ms Skerrett, said: “It seems highly likely to me that he had an adverse reaction to the pills that led him to take his life.”
“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,” she added.
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Recording a narrative conclusion in December, Ms Skerrett said: “The evidence of his wife, family and business partner all supports his lack of suicidal intent. He was suffering adverse effects of medication he had recently been prescribed.”
Giving evidence to the inquest, Dr David Healy, a psychiatric medical expert, said Mr Kingston’s complaints that sertraline was continuing to make him anxious was a sign SSRIs “did not suit him” and he should not have been prescribed the same thing again.
He said the guidelines and labels for SSRIs were not clear enough about going on the drugs in the first place or what the effect could be when moving from one to another.
A NICE spokesperson said: “We will consider the issues raised by the report and respond to the coroner directly.”
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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