Royal Family Rocked by Mysterious Death of Prince’s Cousin
His body was found after he failed to appear for a family lunch.
Antoine de Massy via Instagram
A young member of Monaco’s royal family has been found dead after disappearing following a night out.
The principality’s royal family is mourning the death of Prince Albert II’s cousin Antoine de Massy, whose body was discovered in a public garden behind Villa Sauber, Monaco’s national museum, after he was reported missing.
The 29-year-old was found Sunday after he failed to show up for a family lunch, according to local newspaper Monaco Matin.
AFP reported that he had last been seen staggering out of a nightclub in the early hours of that morning.
The circumstances surrounding his death are unclear, with his cause of death undisclosed. Police arrested a Ukrainian national on Monday after CCTV footage showed him with de Massy, the Daily Mail reported.
“We then had to modify the procedural framework in order to detain this person, place them in police custody and try to clarify the circumstances of the death,” a prosecutor told Monaco Matin.
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Prosecutors have stressed that the man’s alleged role in the case has yet to be established.
Monaco’s Public Prosecutor’s Office said investigators were examining all possible explanations, including the possibility of an accident, as they work to determine how de Massy died.
His death has prompted a statement from the Prince’s Palace, confirming that Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène were mourning the loss of their relative.
De Massy was the grandson of Princess Antoinette, Albert’s father Prince Rainier III’s elder sister, making him a first cousin once removed of the reigning prince.
He was the first cousin once removed of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Arnold Jerocki/FilmMagic
In its statement, the palace said the couple were “saddened to learn of the death of Antoine de Massy.”
It also highlighted his passion for tennis, noting: “A keen tennis player, he was part of a family history closely linked to the sport in the Principality.”
The prince and princess extended their condolences to his family and friends, offering their support “at this painful time.”
Princess Antoinette, de Massy’s grandmother, pictured in 2001. She died in 2011, at 90.
Alain Benainous/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Away from his royal connections, de Massy had pursued a career in professional tennis.
Speaking to L’Uomo Vogue in 2012, he said his father first put a tennis racket in his hands when he was just 3 years old.
As a young man, he moved with his family to Florida, where he trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.
In 2012, he told Vogue Italia that his dream was “to become number one in the world,” adding, “Even in the top 20 wouldn’t be bad!”
He had since turned his attention to business, co-founding technology firm Instant Tech. The company was set up to help local businesses connect with customers through a platform offering instant reservations and payments.
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