A man has been arrested after a royal was found dead last weekend at the age of 29. Prince Albert of Monaco's cousin, Antoine de Massy, was found dead in a park in Monaco on Sunday in the Larvotto district. He was found after his family reported to the police that he had failed to show up at a family lunch that day.
Suspect Detained for Questioning
It has been reported that a man was detained for questioning on Monday. It is believed he is a Ukrainian man.
Monaco prosecutor Stéphane Thibault told the Monaco Matin newspaper that the man is "at this stage merely a suspect/witness to events whose legal qualification remains to be determined, with the theory of an accident not being ruled out".
Ongoing Investigation
A post-mortem examination into the cause of death is ongoing, Hello! magazine reports. Police are expected to provide more updates as the investigation continues.
The royal palace released a statement on behalf of Prince Albert this week. It read: "Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène were saddened to learn of the death of Antoine de Massy, aged 29, the grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III. A keen tennis player, he was part of a family history closely linked to the sport in the Principality."
The statement continued: "Their Highnesses share in the grief of his family and loved ones and offer them their sincere condolences at this painful time."
Family Background and Tennis Career
Antoine was the son of Christian de Massy, a sportsman, and Cécile Gelabale, Prince Rainier's sister. He had moved to Florida at a young age to pursue his love of tennis and studied international relations and affairs at Florida International University in Miami. His dream was to become the "number one" tennis player in the world.
He once told Vogue Italia that Prince Albert was one of his biggest fans for his tennis career, and that moving to Florida was a "difficult choice". He said in 2012: "It was a difficult choice, but it's my choice: my father made it very clear to me that I had to give it my all from the start, and that once I made my decision, there was no going back."
