Prince Albert II of Monaco speaking at a podium. · Photo: Ahmet Sel/Anadolu via Getty Images
A 42 year old man has been charged with manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger over the death of Antoine de Massy, a relative of Prince Albert II, as Monaco's Attorney General says the cause of death is still being determined.
Monaco's Attorney General Stephane Thibault has confirmed that a judicial inquiry was opened into the death of Antoine de Massy, the 29 year old son of Christian de Massy, Prince Albert II's first cousin. De Massy, described as a keen tennis player, was found dead on October 25 in a park near the Villa Sauber museum, after a relative reported him missing when he failed to appear at a family lunch that Sunday.
A 42 year old Ukrainian national who has lived in Monaco for around 30 years has been charged in connection with the death, facing counts of involuntary manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger. According to Thibault, the man denied the charges during his police custody before a judge ordered him remanded in custody.
The exact cause of de Massy's death has not yet been established. Thibault said all hypotheses remain open, including the possibility that his death was the result of a simple accident, and that the investigation would continue to determine what actually happened. The Prince's Palace has confirmed the death and extended its condolences to the family.
The case adds a formal legal dimension to what had initially been reported as a sudden and unexplained death within Monaco's princely family. With a judicial inquiry now under way and one suspect already in custody, further details are expected to emerge as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding de Massy's final hours.
