These are moments of shock in the Principality of Monaco, which usually makes international headlines for stories associated with luxury, glamour, sport and the good life, and of profound sadness for its ruling dynasty, the Grimaldis. On Monday, Antoine de Massy, 29, a second cousin of the sovereign, Prince Albert II, and of his sisters, Princesses Caroline and Stéphanie, was found dead in a park in the tiny state.
The tragic news was first reported by the newspaper Nice-Matin, which also revealed that a man was arrested several hours later in connection with the incident, although no further details have been released so far. It has only emerged that the Monaco police have not ruled out any line of enquiry in their investigation and that the suspect's detention has been extended by a further 24 hours ahead of his expected appearance before a judge.
Antoine de Massy was the youngest of the three children of Christian Louis, the current Baron de Massy, and his fourth wife, Cécile Gelabale. Christian Louis was the only son among the three children of the late Princess Antoinette, the only daughter of the also late Prince Rainier III. As a first cousin of Prince Albert II, Christian Louis was at one stage considered a potential heir to the throne during his childhood, until his uncle married Grace Kelly in 1956 and, above all, until the birth of the current Sovereign Prince, who became heir from the moment he was born.
Monégasque media report that the deceased failed to attend a family lunch on Sunday without any explanation, causing concern among relatives. Hours after an alert was raised with Monaco's Public Security Department, Antoine de Massy's body was discovered in a green area near Boulevard du Larvotto, behind Villa Sauber, one of Monaco's most prestigious districts.
Very little is publicly known about Antoine beyond his passion for tennis, a sport closely associated with his family, which led him to attempt to represent the Principality of Monaco at the 2016 Olympic Games. Antoine began playing at a very young age. As a teenager, he moved to Miami with the support of his father to pursue intensive training while continuing his studies.
His grandfather, Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, whom Princess Antoinette married in 1951 before divorcing a few years later, was a Monégasque tennis player. His aunt, Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, chaired both the Monte-Carlo Country Club and the Monegasque Tennis Federation until her death in 2020. Her daughter, Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, who was both Antoine's cousin and a second cousin of Prince Albert, Princess Caroline and Princess Stéphanie, now heads those institutions as well as the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the tournament that each year brings many of the world's leading tennis players to the Principality.
Princess Antoinette died in 2011. In 2020, Prince Albert granted his cousin Christian Louis, by Sovereign Ordinance, the right to bear the title of Baron de Massy, "on a personal and non-hereditary basis". Christian Louis has three children: Laetitia, Brice and Antoine.
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene responded to the tragic news in a statement, which noted that "Their Serene Highnesses share the grief of his family and loved ones and extend to them their deepest and most sincere condolences during this painful time."