Lady Gabriella Windsor sang Kate Middleton's praises in her first major interview following the death of her husband Thomas Kingston last year.
Lady Gabriella, 44, opened up about what it was like to work with the Princess of Wales on the fourth edition of her Together at Christmas carol service in a new interview with Hello! magazine, published on May 18. The conversation was her first major interview since her husband Thomas died by suicide at age 45 in February 2024 after he allegedly stopped taking prescription antidepressants.
"It was such an honor to be involved, and very thoughtful and kind-hearted of the Princess to include me. I was very touched," Lady Gabriella said about collaborating with Princess Kate on the service in December 2024.
"She was so lovely to work with, always gracious, very creative and with so much vision and passion for the many charities and causes she supports," she added.
Gabriella is a cousin of King Charles through her father Prince Michael's side of the family and a passionate musician who played an advisory role around the musical performances for Kate's Together at Christmas carol service in December at Westminster Abbey. A source told PEOPLE that Lady Gabriella enjoyed her role and was excited to be a part of the service, and that the Princess of Wales "was incredibly grateful for her contribution."
In a show of support, Gabriella entered the event with Princess Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
Though Gabriella had a hands-on role with the show, with some school bands from her latest patronage Restore the Music UK performing during the concert, she revealed that some details were even a surprise for her!
"There were surprises for everyone, even the people involved. It was a very special idea of hers to include ballet dancers at the concert - I didn't know that there would be children as well as adult dancers, all brightly and beautifully dressed as they danced through the abbey," Gabriella said. The mention seemingly referenced the ballet performance Kate wove into the program as a tribute for her daughter Princess Charlotte -- a "secret" she said Prince Louis caught wind of and was "bursting" to tell his sister!
"It was a wonderful gathering of creative people, and it was extremely moving. I loved it and I was really touched to be asked," Gabriella added about collaborating with Kate. "It was very kind of her."
Lady Gabriella works as a freelance journalist and has previously leaned into her love of music by releasing songs to benefit the charitable Playing for Change Foundation. In April, Restore the Music UK announced that Gabriella had been named its newest patron and was taking on a formal role with the charity working to enhance music education in some of the U.K.'s most underserved state schools.
Last week, the royal family member attended Restore the Music's gala at Nobu Hotel in London and she said it was a joy to attend the glittering dinner.
"It was so uplifting to hear the students play. One of the school bands kicked off the evening with Proud Mary which was fantastic. There was so much energy," she said.
Elsewhere in the interview, Gabriella said that she has been "writing a lot of lyrics" with a hope to "record some more songs soon" and listens to music "everywhere," except when she is working.
"I just find it too distracting," she said. "But generally, I find music to be very powerful. It can instantly change your mood and outlook and can sometimes transcend all else."
Lady Gabriella is not a full-time working royal like her second cousin Prince William, but briefly retreated from the public eye following the death of her husband last year.
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In February 2024, Buckingham Palace announced that Thomas had died at age 45 at his parents' home in the Cotswolds. A spokesperson for the coroner's office later told PEOPLE that his cause of death was "traumatic wound to the head" and a gun was found near his body.
Katy Skerrett, senior coroner for Gloucestershire, later linked his death to medication he had been taking. His parents and his widow Gabriella have since all spoken out to raise awareness around the potential side effects of antidepressants.
In January, Skerrett said in a prevention of future deaths report that further action should be taken over the risk to patients prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which his parents agreed with.