Funeral Mass Held in Monaco for Antoine de Massy, 29, as Investigation Continues
A funeral mass for Antoine de Massy, 29, was held Wednesday morning at the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate in Monaco. The service began at 10:30 a.m. local time on November 4, 2026. He died on October 25.
Monaco is a small principality on the French Riviera, ruled by the Grimaldi family. De Massy was the grandson of Princess Antoinette, the older sister of the late Prince Rainier III. Town & Country describes him as a first cousin once removed of Prince Albert II, which means a more distant cousin, one generation removed from the prince's own.
His body was found in a garden behind Villa Sauber, a property in Monaco. The Prince's Palace announced his death on Monday, October 26. People reported that Prince Albert and Princess Charlène were mourning his death. Prince Albert had just returned from a tour of Africa that included stops in Madagascar, Senegal and Cameroon before the funeral.
The case is now a criminal investigation. Prosecutor General Stéphane Thibault said de Massy's death was caused by a fall of 13 meters from the square. A 42-year-old man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, which means causing a death without meaning to, and with failure to assist a person in danger. Thibault said the suspect has so far declined to answer any questions.
De Massy was the son of Baron Christian de Massy. In an interview published October 31 by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the baron said he ruled out both accident and suicide as explanations for his son's death. He pointed to the ongoing investigation as the reason for that position.
The funeral was the first public gathering of the family since the death was announced. Monaco's royal family is large and spread across several branches, and de Massy's line sits at a distance from the throne. Still, the cathedral service brought the family together in a way that a palace announcement could not.
The prosecutor's account and the baron's comments are both public now. Investigators have not yet said whether the charged man will speak, and no trial date has been reported.
