Monaco Holds Funeral for Antoine de Massy, Prince Albert's Cousin
Monaco has held a funeral mass for Antoine de Massy, a relative of the ruling family who died at the age of 29. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene attended the service, according to Hello!.
The mass began at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, 4 November, in Monaco Cathedral. Earlier, on Tuesday night, a vigil was held in the chapel of the Prince's Palace, the residence of the Monegasque royal family. Mr de Massy's burial will take place at the Monaco cemetery.
He was a first cousin once removed of Prince Albert. That term describes a relative one generation away from a first cousin, so the two men were related through the family tree rather than as siblings or close cousins. The Prince's Palace announced his death on Monday, 26 October, in a statement reported by Town & Country.
Mr de Massy was found dead in a park in Monaco on 25 October. He had missed a family lunch that day, and his family's concern led to the discovery.
On 29 October, a 42-year-old Ukrainian man was charged with involuntary manslaughter, which is the offence of causing a death without intending to do so. He was also charged with failing to assist a person in danger. Hello! reports that the man was filmed leaving the Sass' Cafe club alongside Mr de Massy at 3 a.m. A charge is an accusation that a court will test. It is not a finding of guilt, and the case has not been decided.
For now, the focus in Monaco has been on the funeral and the family's farewell. The palace has not announced any further steps in the case beyond the charges already made public.
