Antoine de Massy, the strange death of a Grimaldi that intrigues Monaco

BarcelonaMonaco is by far one of the safest places in Europe and also in the world. According to the Numbeo index, which is based on surveys of citizens in each location, the principality on the French Riviera ranks eighth in the European ranking. The data provided by this ranking indicate that walking alone during the day can be done with a perception of safety of 82/100 and, at night, 79/100. Furthermore, social concern regarding theft is “low” and regarding assaults is “very low.” If you add to all this that it is one of the places on the European continent that has the most police presence and the most video surveillance presence, imagining that something could happen to a member of the royal family there is practically implausible.

Well, what seems impossible is what has happened. Two weeks ago, in the early hours of October 25th, the son of Baron Christian de Massy, Antoine de Massy, was found dead in a garden area of a residential complex after falling from a height of 13 meters. A tragic death of a young man of only 29 years old that has strongly impacted the small Monegasque society, in which news like this practically does not exist.

A fall of 13 meters

In an interview with Il Corriere della Sera, the Baron of Massy reconstructed in great detail the hours that preceded Antoine's death. As he revealed, the family was waiting for him to celebrate a birthday, but, seeing that he did not arrive, they began to worry and decided to go out to look for him on their own. Through mobile phone tracking, they were able to locate him at number 21 of Princess Grace Avenue, an address that coincides with the Larvotto neighborhood. After notifying the police, the relatives traveled to the location, where there were already several police patrols and ambulances. Seeing the deployment, the closest relatives retreated home at the request of a cousin, who then assumed the representation of the family in situ. From there, this relative communicated to them the tragic outcome of the events: the death of their son Antoine.

The proceedings, led by prosecutor Stéphane Thibault, culminated in the arrest of a Ukrainian citizen, investigated for an alleged crime of involuntary manslaughter. To the aforementioned media outlet, however, Christian de Massy has absolutely ruled out that the detainee has any responsibility in Antoine's death. "I rule it out categorically. He approached Antoine when he saw him leaving a bar," he stated before adding that security cameras show him walking alone after the Ukrainian citizen approached him upon seeing him leave a bar. At this moment, the man—whom the family said they did not know and who has resided in Monaco for 30 years—is the only person arrested, and he is being investigated for involuntary manslaughter and failure to provide assistance, not for an intentional crime. Currently, he is in pretrial detention and has denied any involvement in the death. The baron regretted not being able to explain much more about the case because the investigation is ongoing.

The family rules out suicide

The Baron of Massy, son of Antoinette Grimaldi –older sister of the late Rainier III–, has explained to the press that he rules out that his son committed suicide. "I rule it out completely. It was neither an accident nor a suicide, nothing of the sort," said the 77-year-old aristocrat, father of one other son and one daughter, both older than Antoine.

This Wednesday, the young man's funeral was held in a ceremony at the Monaco Cathedral. Subsequently, his remains were transferred to the Principality's cemetery, where he was laid to rest. The previous night, the funeral wake was held at the Prince's Palace, which opened its doors to members of the Massy family due to their direct kinship with the princely family. On the day of the funeral, the baron revealed that an Italian craftswoman had crocheted a small replica of Tounin, Antoine's dog, to accompany him inside the coffin.

These events have intrigued all of Monaco, where such tragic events do not occur. The last time there was news involving security in a public space was in mid-2024, when a bomb exploded in the lobby of a residential building in Monaco and injured three people, among whom were the Ukrainian-born businessman Vadim Iermolaiev, his partner, and their son. Also a Ukrainian citizen, 39-year-old Anastasiia Berezovska was identified as the main suspect for placing the explosive, but she fled Monaco and Germany, where she lived. Finally, she took refuge in her home country.

Suspect murdered

The events, which proved traumatic in this microstate, but which also became news abroad due to their exceptional nature, continued beyond the country's borders, as on July 3rd Berezovska was shot to death near the Ukrainian capital. Four days later, the country's authorities announced the arrest of two men –one of whom was an officer of the country's military intelligence services– allegedly for having ended the woman's life.

Antoine de Massy was known for his love of sport. At just eight years old, accompanied by his father, he left for Miami to pursue a career in the world of tennis. His sporting progress, however, was cut short by a serious wrist injury, from which he never fully recovered enough to be able to dedicate himself professionally to his favorite sport. After the pandemic, he returned to Monaco and tried to have surgery in Zurich, where they told him there was nothing left to do.

The case of his death, considering the obvious priority it will have for the justice system and the police in this small monarchy, will continue to give people a lot to talk about. Also because of the Baron of Massy's propensity for communicating with the press. Perhaps, incidentally, due to the fact that if the conspiracies against Rainier that his mother, Antoinette, attempted had worked, he would be the Prince of Monaco today. But, now that it is the season for it, we will take the opportunity to say that that is another kettle of fish.