Antoine de Massy was found dead in a public garden in Monaco on Sunday, and police have opened an investigation into how he died. He was 29.
The death put a young member of Monaco’s royal family at the center of an inquiry that is still trying to establish the basics. By Monday evening, the person identified near the scene was still in custody, but officials had not said whether that person was a suspect.
The Prince’s Palace said Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène learned of Antoine de Massy’s death with sadness and extended condolences to his family and loved ones. The statement also noted that he was the grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III, and that he came from a family closely linked to tennis in the Principality.
That connection mattered because de Massy had long been known for his own interest in the sport. He began playing tennis at age 3, was introduced to it by his father, and later moved to Florida to train while still in school. In 2012, he told Vogue Italia that his dream was “to become number one in the world” and that even “in the top 20 wouldn’t be bad!” He also said he hoped to represent Monaco at the Olympics.
The circumstances around his death are what now hang over that story. A relative grew worried after de Massy missed a family lunch on Sunday and went to Monaco’s Public Security department. Hours later, he was found in a garden behind Villa Sauber, a cultural landmark and one of Monaco’s last Belle Epoque villas.
Police reviewed security camera footage, identified a person near the scene and later arrested that person. That detail has added a sharper edge to an already sensitive case, even as authorities have not said what role, if any, the person may have had in de Massy’s death.
For Monaco, the case now sits at the crossing of grief and investigation: a royal family mourning a 29-year-old relative, and police still working to determine exactly what happened in the garden on Sunday.
