Antoine de Massy, a cousin of Monaco’s Prince Albert II, was found dead after leaving a nightclub. A 42-year-old Ukrainian man has since been charged in connection with the royal relative’s death.
De Massy’s body was discovered Sunday in a park on Boulevard du Larvotto in Monaco’s affluent Larvotto district. His family contacted authorities after they were unable to get in touch with him.
The 29-year-old was reportedly seen leaving a nightclub that night, staggering and leaning on another man for support, according to Le Parisien.
An autopsy indicated that de Massy likely died following “a fall from a height of 13 meters,” Monaco Prosecutor General Stéphane Thibault told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.
Police arrested a Ukrainian national who has lived in Monaco for 30 years. He was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter and failing to assist a person in danger.
The unidentified suspect rejected the allegations during questioning and later declined to answer questions before an investigating judge, Thibault said. He was then placed in custody.
The charges do not claim that de Massy was deliberately killed, and the suspect remains presumed innocent.
Investigators are working to determine “the precise sequence of events that led to [his] fall,” Thibault said.
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A memorial has been set up near the site, with flowers, candles, a Monaco flag and tennis balls honoring de Massy’s passion for the sport.
De Massy was the son of Baron Christian de Massy, Prince Albert’s first cousin, and Cécile Gelabale. His grandmother, Princess Antoinette, was the older sister of Prince Rainier III and the aunt of Prince Albert.
Prince Albert, 68, and his wife, Princess Charlène, 48, acknowledged the family tragedy in a statement issued by the Prince’s Palace on Monday.
“Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène were saddened to learn of the death of Antoine de Massy, aged 29, the grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III,” the statement said.
“A keen tennis player, he was part of a family history closely linked to the sport in the Principality. Their Highnesses share in the grief of his family and loved ones and offer them their sincere condolences at this painful time,” it continued.
De Massy carried on the legacy of his paternal grandfather, Alexandre-Athenase Noghes, an international tennis player, and had hoped to compete for Monaco at the Olympics.
Prince Albert has endured several controversies during his reign, including a paternity scandal involving two children born outside his marriage and allegations of infidelity.
He has also faced questions over financial records leaked by former palace accountant Claude Palmero. The documents described lavish expenditures, undisclosed payments and alleged surveillance inside the royal household.
