Lady Helen Taylor puts on a brave face as she attends The Prince's Trust gala dinner in London - days after the shock death of her cousin Lady Gabriella Windsor's husband Thomas Kingston

• The 59-year-old attended the lavish event at The Peninsula Hotel in London 
• READ MORE: Inquest probing the death of Thomas Kingston to open this week – after Lady Gabriella Windsor’s husband, 45, was found dead at his parents’ £3m country mansion

Lady Helen Taylor has stepped out following the shock death of her first cousin Lady Gabriella Windsor’s husband Thomas Kingston.

The daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent, 59, put on a brave face as she attended The Prince’s Trust Invest in Futures Gala Dinner in London yesterday evening.

For the occasion at the The Peninsula Hotel, the former fashion ambassador and muse to Giorgio Armani for 17 years wore a deep blue maxi skirt teamed with a black statement blouse with a one shoulder feature.

Her outing comes just days after Helen’s cousin, Lady Gabriella Windsor, 42, tragically lost her financier husband, Thomas Kingston, 45.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the son-in-law of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent had died suddenly at a property in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening.

Lady Helen Taylor (pictured) has stepped out following the shock death of her first cousin Lady Gabriella Windsor’s husband Thomas Kingston

Last night, Helen posed with friends, including Lady Ruth Kennedy and businessman Michael Kadoorie, at the event.

The black-tie event is a fundamental fundraising event for The Prince’s Trust Invest in Futures since it was first established in 2005.

Invest in Futures is part of The Prince’s Trust, a non-profit organization founded by King Charles III in 1976 to help vulnerable young people across the UK.

With the help of generous donors, the scheme has raised £24 million since its conception. The money has gone on to help approximately 23,000 young people from around the UK.

Last night’s event in the heart of London’s Belgravia aimed to raise a whopping £1million pounds, according to the charity’s website.

The evening offered entertainment for philanthropists, supporters, and Celebrity Ambassadors who are keen to change the lives of young people across the UK.

Amongst them was Lady Helen Taylor, who smiled with friends as she attended the event for a positive cause.

It comes following reports that an inquest into the death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter Lady Gabriella, is to open this week after he was found dead at his parents’ country mansion.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court said the inquest would be opened on Friday afternoon at 2pm.

Lady Helen Taylor, left, attended The Prince’s Trust Invest In Futures gala dinner alongside businessman Michael Kadoorie, centre, and Lady Ruth Kennedy, right, yesterday evening

Last night, Helen posed with friends, including Lady Ruth Kennedy and businessman Michael Kadoorie, at the event

‘Please be advised that HM senior coroner for Gloucestershire, Ms Katy Skerrett, will conduct the opening of the inquest into the death of Mr Thomas Henry Robin Kingston at 2pm Friday March 1, 2024, at the Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court,’ the statement said.

Buckingham Palace announced Mr Kingston, 45, died suddenly on February 25 at an address in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire.

Paramedics were called to the large, detached home at around 6pm on Sunday.

Read more: Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, died at his parents’ £3million country mansion in Gloucestershire – as police say ‘there are no suspicious circumstances’ and royal family mourn war hero

Lady Gabriella paid tribute to her financier husband in a joint statement with his family, describing him as an ‘exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him’. They described his death as a ‘great shock to the whole family’.

The King and Queen sent their ‘most heartfelt thoughts and prayers’ to Lady Gabriella, who is known as Ella, and Mr Kingston’s parents and siblings.

A statement released on behalf of Lady Gabriella Kingston, Mr Martin and Mrs Jill Kingston, Mrs Joanna Connolly and Mrs Emma Murray, said: ‘It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother.

‘Tom was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has come as a great shock to the whole family and we ask you to respect our privacy as we mourn his passing.’

Lady Gabriella released a personal photo she took of her husband, showing him smiling and dressed in a casual pink shirt as he stood near a stretch of water in the sunshine.

The couple married at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in 2019 with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, among the guests.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson 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.’

Lady Gabriella is the King’s second cousin. They are both great-grandchildren of King George V.

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