Antoine de Massy, Prince Albert II’s first cousin once removed, has died aged 29, the Prince’s Palace announced on Monday 26th October.
He was the son of Christian de Massy, Prince Albert II’s first cousin, and the grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III and aunt of the current Sovereign.
“Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène learned with sadness of the death of Antoine de Massy, aged 29, grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III,” the Palace said in its communiqué on Monday.
Photo sourcce: Antoine de Massy Instagram page
A family connection to Monaco tennis
The Palace paid tribute to his enthusiasm for a sport closely associated with his family: “Passionate about tennis, he was part of a family history closely linked to the sport in the Principality.”
Antoine began playing as a young child. In a 2012 interview with L’Uomo Vogue, he recalled being introduced to tennis by his father at the age of three. He later moved from Monaco to Florida to pursue intensive training alongside his schooling, speaking of his admiration for Novak Djokovic and his ambition to represent Monaco at the Olympic Games.
His grandfather, Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, was a Monegasque tennis player. His aunt Elizabeth-Ann de Massy led both the Monte-Carlo Country Club and the Monegasque Tennis Federation until her death in 2020. Her daughter, Antoine’s cousin Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, now heads those institutions and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
“Their Highnesses share in the grief of his family and loved ones and extend their sincere condolences at this painful time,” the Palace concluded.
Antoine’s body was found early on Sunday evening, 25th October, in a park below Boulevard du Larvotto, following an alert from his family and a search by Monaco’s police, Prosecutor General Stéphane Thibault confirmed.
An investigation was opened to establish the cause of death. After investigators found that a man had approached Antoine while he was still on the boulevard, the legal basis of the investigation was changed to allow police to identify him and question him in custody.
The man was arrested on Monday morning. In a statement issued at 7pm that evening, Thibault said his custody had been extended by 24 hours while interviews and technical investigations continued.
The prosecutor stressed that the man’s role remained unclear and that all possibilities, including an accident, were being considered. The circumstances of Antoine’s death have yet to be established.
Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo by Monaco Life