The cousin of Prince Albert of Monaco was found dead after leaving a nightclub, while a 42-year-old Ukrainian man has been charged in connection with the royal relative’s death. Antoine De Massy’s body was discovered on Sunday in a park along the Boulevard du Larvotto, in the exclusive Larvotto district of Monaco, after his family alerted authorities when they could not locate him. De Massy, 29, was allegedly seen leaving a nightclub on Sunday night, staggering and leaning on a man for support, according to Le Parisien. Prince Albert of Monaco’s cousin Antoine de Massy was found dead aged 29 after reportedly leaving a nightclub on Sunday night. Better image/BACKGRID According to an autopsy, De Massy probably died after “a fall from a height of 13 meters,” Monaco’s attorney general, Stéphane Thibault, told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday. A Ukrainian citizen, who has lived in Monaco for 30 years, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter and failing to assist a person in danger. The suspect, who has not been identified, denied the allegations during police questioning before appearing before an investigating judge, to whom he refused to answer, Thibault said. He was later taken into custody. The charges do not allege that De Massy was intentionally killed and the suspect is presumed innocent. A 42-year-old Ukrainian man has been charged with manslaughter after De Massy (above) died from a fall. Credit: antoinedemassy/Instagram Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding De Massy’s death to establish “the precise sequence of events that led to [his] autumn,” Thibault said. A monument has since appeared near the site of his death, with flowers, candles, a Monaco flag and tennis balls in tribute to de Massy’s passion for sport. De Massy was the son of Baron Christian de Massy, Prince Albert’s first cousin, and Cécile Gelabale. His grandmother, Princess Antoinette, was the older sister of Prince Rainier III and aunt of Prince Albert. De Massy and his mother Cécile de Massy at the 70th Monaco Red Cross Gala in 2018. Best Image / BACKGRID The Prince, 68, and his wife, Princess Charlène, 48, confirmed the family tragedy in a statement released by the Prince’s Palace on Monday “Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène were saddened to learn of the death of Antoine de Massy, 29 years old, grandson of Princess Antoinette, older sister of Prince Rainier. III”, the statement reads. “A passionate tennis player, he was part of a family history closely linked to this sport in the Principality. “Their Highnesses share the pain of his family and loved ones and offer them their sincere condolences at this painful time,” he added. De Massy was Prince Albert of Monaco’s first cousin once removed. Getty Images De Massy followed in the footsteps of his paternal grandfather, Alexandre-Athenase Noghes, an international tennis player, and hoped to represent Monaco at the Olympic Games. Prince Albert has faced numerous controversies over the years, including a paternity scandal involving two children born outside his marriage and cheating allegations, Albert has also faced scrutiny over the leak of former palace accountant Claude Palmero’s financial records, which detailed lavish spending, secret payments and alleged surveillance within the royal household.
