Prince Albert and Princess Charlene attend funeral of family member found dead in a park

Members of the House of Grimaldi have gathered in Monaco to farewell one of their own.

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were among the mourners at the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate, in Monte Carlo, for the funeral of Antonine de Massy.

The 29-year-old, who is a cousin of Prince Albert, was found dead in a park about four kilometres from the Prince’s Palace, on October 25.

He is believed to have fallen 13 metres.

An investigation into his death is ongoing and a 42-year-old Ukrainian national, who has lived in Monaco for 30 years, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger.

The funeral service was held on Wednesday and was attended by friends and members of the Monegasque royal house including Princess Caroline, Princess Stéphanie and de Massy’s parents Baron Christian de Massy and Cécile Gelabale.

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Large floral tributes decorated the cathedral while a small knitted toy dog was placed on de Massy’s coffin by his father, representing his dog Tounin.

de Massy’s coffin was carried into the cathedral by friends and relatives including Alexandre Grimaldi, Prince Albert’s 23-year-old son from a previous relationship with Nicole Coste.

Grimaldi spoke during the service, saying he considered de Massy to be an older brother and recalled their family holidays and time spent at the Monte Carlo Country Club, Riviera Radio reports.

He was buried at Monaco Cemetery, the final resting place to a number of well-known figures including as Joséphine Baker and Sir Roger Moore.

On Tuesday evening, a vigil for de Massy was held inside the chapel of the Prince’s Palace.

A photo from the funeral was later shared by the palace, which said: “In memory of Antoine de Massy, whose funeral was celebrated today in Monaco Cathedral”.

de Massy was Prince Albert II’s cousin and his grandmother was Princess Antoinette, the elder sister Albert’s father and former ruler of Monaco, Prince Rainier III.

Last week Prince Albert and Princess Charlene paid tribute to de Massy in a statement that said: “We are saddened to learn of the death of Antoine de Massy. We join the family in their grief”.

They described him as “a passionate tennis player”, adding that “he was part of a family history closely tied to this sport in the principality”.

de Massy was born in Monaco but moved to Miami with his father when he was eight to further his talent and passion for tennis.

He became a semi-professional player and later attended the University of Miami, but a wrist injury forced his early retirement. He had recently launched an app and his project green-lit before his death.

Earlier this week, de Massy’s father described his son as “a good boy”.

Speaking to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Baron de Massy said: “My son Antoine was my life. He was so wonderful, the heartbreak is too great”.

Prosecutor Stéphane Thibault told media that “the accident hypothesis cannot be ruled out”, adding “a judicial inquiry has been opened and entrusted to an investigating judge to continue the investigation”.

The man who has been charged remains in custody but has so far refused to answer questions.