Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness of Massy (
Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne Grimaldi; born
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 28 December 1920), is a non-dynastic member of the princely family of
MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
and the elder sister of the late Prince
Rainier IIIRainier III, Prince of Monaco , styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for more than 50 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century.Though he was best known outside of Europe for having married...
and aunt of
Albert II, Prince of MonacoAlbert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the current ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and his princess consort, Grace Kelly...
. Her parents were
Prince Pierre, Duke of ValentinoisPrince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois is best known for having been the father of Rainier III of Monaco, and thus the paternal grandfather of Albert II of Monaco...
and
Princess Charlotte, Duchess of ValentinoisPrincess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, Countess of Polignac , styled HSH The Princess Charlotte, was the daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier III...
.
Antoinette is of
FrenchFrench people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....
, Mexican,
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
,
GermanThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
,
ScottishThe Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
,
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
,
DutchThe Dutch people are the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide, notably in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States....
, and Italian ancestry.
Princess Antoinette had a long-term liaison with
Alexandre-Athenase NoghèsAlexandre-Athenase Noghès was an international tennis champion, best known as the first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, whom he married as his second wife in December 1951....
, a Monegasque-born attorney and international
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
champion, in the mid 1940s.
Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness of Massy (
Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne Grimaldi; born
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, 28 December 1920), is a non-dynastic member of the princely family of
MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
and the elder sister of the late Prince
Rainier IIIRainier III, Prince of Monaco , styled His Serene Highness The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for more than 50 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century.Though he was best known outside of Europe for having married...
and aunt of
Albert II, Prince of MonacoAlbert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the current ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and his princess consort, Grace Kelly...
. Her parents were
Prince Pierre, Duke of ValentinoisPrince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois is best known for having been the father of Rainier III of Monaco, and thus the paternal grandfather of Albert II of Monaco...
and
Princess Charlotte, Duchess of ValentinoisPrincess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, Countess of Polignac , styled HSH The Princess Charlotte, was the daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier III...
.
Antoinette is of
FrenchFrench people can refer to:* The legal residents and citizens of France, regardless of ancestry. For a legal discussion, see French nationality law.* People whose ancestors lived in France or the area that later became France....
, Mexican,
SpanishSpanish people or Spaniards constitute the nationality and ethnic group of natives of Spain, a European country in the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. The Spanish nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the complex history of Spain...
,
GermanThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
,
ScottishThe Scots people and an ethnic group indigenous to Scotland.An ethnic group, historically they emerged from an amalgamation of Picts, Gaels and Brythons....
,
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity as a people is of early medieval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn....
,
DutchThe Dutch people are the dominant ethnic group of the Netherlands.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide, notably in Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States....
, and Italian ancestry.
Marriages and issue
Princess Antoinette had a long-term liaison with
Alexandre-Athenase NoghèsAlexandre-Athenase Noghès was an international tennis champion, best known as the first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, whom he married as his second wife in December 1951....
, a Monegasque-born attorney and international
tennisTennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court....
champion, in the mid 1940s. Three illegitimate children were born from this union, who lost their place in the
line of succession to the Monegasque ThroneThe line of succession to the Monegasque Throne passes to the descendants of the reigning Prince of Monaco in accordance with male-preference primogeniture...
with the death of Rainier III:
- Elisabeth-Anne
Elisabeth-Anne de Massy was born in Monaco on 13 January/13 July 1947 to Princess Antoinette of Monaco and her then lover Alexandre-Athenase Noghès. She is a first cousin of the reigning Prince Albert II and niece of Rainier III. She is the godmother of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco...
(born 1947). Married twice with two children:
- Jean-Léonard Taubert-Natta de Massy
Baron Taubert de Massy is a member of the extended Princely Family of Monaco.His mother, Elisabeth-Anne de Massy, is the daughter of Alexandre Noghès and HSH Princess Antoinette, Baroness de Massy...
(b. 1974)
- Mélanie de Lusignan (b. 1985)
- Christian Louis, Baron de Massy
Christian Louis, Baron de Massy is a member of the extended Monegasque Princely Family. He is the son of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness of Massy and her then lover Alexandre-Athenase Noghès. Christian is a first cousin of the reigning Albert II, Prince of Monaco and nephew of Rainier III...
(Noghès) (b. MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
, 17 January 1949), married firstly in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Buenos AiresBuenos Aires Province is the most populous province of Argentina. Though it takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the latter is not part of the provincial territory; Buenos Aires is an autonomous city...
, on 14 November 1970 and divorced in 1978 María Marta Quintana y del Carril (b. London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, 17 June 1951) and had one daughter, married secondly Cécile N (b. GuadeloupeGuadeloupe is an archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at , with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres . It is an overseas department of France. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe is also one of the twenty-six regions of France and an integral part of the Republic...
), without issue, married thirdly in RamatuelleRamatuelle is a commune of the Var département, in souteastern France near St-Tropez, St-Maxime and Gassin. It was built on a hill to defend itself against enemies. The town was known in the Middle Ages as Ramatuella, and was part of the area ruled by the Moors of nearby Fraxinet in the ninth and...
on 11 September 1982 and divorced in 1987 Anne Michelle Lütken (28 November 1959 - London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, 25 November 2001), and had one son, and married fourthly ..., and had one son:
- Laetizia de Massy (Noghès) (b. Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Buenos AiresBuenos Aires Province is the most populous province of Argentina. Though it takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the latter is not part of the provincial territory; Buenos Aires is an autonomous city...
, 16 May 1971), married to Thomas de BrouwerBrouwer is the last name of different people:* Adriaen Brouwer was a Flemish painter* Andries Brouwer is a Dutch mathematician and computer programmer* Dirk Brouwer was a Dutch-American astronomer...
(b. Antwerp||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp province in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions. Antwerp's total population is 472,071 and its total area is , giving a population density of 2,308 inhabitants per km²...
, 22 March 1973), without issue
- Brice Baron de Massy (Noghès) (b. 1988)
- Antoine Baron de Massy (Noghès) (b. 1996? or 1997)
- Christine Alix de Massy
Christine Alix de Massy was born to Princess Antoinette of Monaco and her then lover Alexandre-Athenase Noghès. She is a first cousin of the reigning Prince Albert II and niece of Rainier III...
(Noghès) (MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
, 8 July 1951 - NiceNice is a city in southern France located on the Mediterranean coast, between Marseille, France, and Genoa, Italy, with 347 060 inhabitants in the 2006 estimate...
, 15 February 1989), married firstly in MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
on 14 February 1972 and divorced in 1976 Charles Wayne Knecht (b. Philadelphia, Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County is a county located in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. It is coterminous with the city of Philadelphia which also serves as its seat. In 2006, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population at 1,448,394...
, PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, 23 November 1944), and had one son, and married secondly on 25 March 1988 Leon Leroy, without issue:
- Keith Sebastian Knecht (b. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County is a county located in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. It is coterminous with the city of Philadelphia which also serves as its seat. In 2006, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population at 1,448,394...
, PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, 1972), married in July 1999 Donatella Dugaginy, without issue.
- Princess Antoinette and Alexandre Noghès subsequently married in Genoa
Genoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
on 4 December 1951 (her first, his second) and divorced in 1954.
On 15 November 1951, Antoinette was created Baroness of Massy (Baronne de Massy). Her children (Elisabeth-Anne, Christian and Christine) were named Grimaldi at birth. They subsequently had their names changed to de Massy. They claim the title of Baron/Baroness through their mother, but they are not entitled to it.
- She married her second husband, Jean-Charles Rey (Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
, 22 October 1914 - MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
, 17 September 1994), president of the Conseil NationalThe National Council is the parliament of the Principality of Monaco. Its twenty four members are elected from lists by universal suffrage for five-year terms, and though it may act independently of the Prince, he may dissolve it at any time, provided that new elections be held within three...
, the Parlement de Monaco in The HagueThe Hague is the third largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with a population of 485,818 and an area of approximately 100 km²...
on 2 December 1961 and they divorced in 1974.
- Her third and last husband was John Gilpin
John Gilpin was a leading English ballet dancer and actor.He was born in Southsea, Hampshire, England, and began as a child actor in films, such as They Were Sisters and The Years Between, opposite Michael Redgrave...
(SouthseaSouthsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. The built up areas of Portsmouth and Southsea have merged, and the centre of Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
, HampshireHampshire , sometimes historically Southamptonshire, Hamptonshire, , or the County of Southampton, is a county on the south coast of England. The county borders , Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
, 10 February 1930 - Monte CarloMonte Carlo is one of Monaco's administrative areas, sometimes erroneously believed to be a town or the country's capital, just as Monaco-Ville...
or London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, 5 September 1983), a renowned BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
balletBallet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form...
dancer, whom she married in MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
on 28 July 1983. He died suddenly six weeks later.
Life account
Having divorced
NoghèsAlexandre-Athenase Noghès was an international tennis champion, best known as the first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, whom he married as his second wife in December 1951....
, she and her lover Jean-Charles Rey hatched a plan to depose her brother Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and declare herself Regent on the basis of having a son who would one day inherit the throne. She circulated rumours that Rainier's fiancee, actress
Gisèle PascalGisèle Pascal was a French actress and a former lover of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.She was born Gisèle Marie Madeleine Tallone at Cannes in France...
, was infertile. This led to the breakup of the relationship.
Rainier's marriage to
Grace KellyGrace Patricia Kelly was an American film and stage actress and fashion icon who later became Princess Grace of Monaco....
in 1956 and the arrival of his heirs,
Princess CarolineCaroline, Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco , formally styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover , is the eldest child of the late Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his wife, the former American film actress Grace Kelly...
in 1957 and
Prince AlbertAlbert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the current ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and his princess consort, Grace Kelly...
in 1958, effectively scuttled Antoinette's plans.
She was removed from the Palace by Grace. She maintained a somewhat distant relationship with the Princely Family for many years. The relationship improved with time.
Princess Antoinette is known to be somewhat eccentric, even having been described as "completely mad" by her servants. Having been banished from Monaco in the late 1950s, she lives down the coast from Monaco at
ÈzeÈze is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in south-eastern France, not far from the city of Nice.-History:The area surrounding Èze was first populated around 2000 BC as a commune situated near Mount Bastide. The earliest occurrence of the name "Èze" can be found in the maritime books of...
, with a large collection of dogs and cats.
Princess Antoinette and her descendants lost their place in the
line of succession to the Monegasque ThroneThe line of succession to the Monegasque Throne passes to the descendants of the reigning Prince of Monaco in accordance with male-preference primogeniture...
in 2002 with the reform of the succession rules, with the death of Rainier III.
Ancestry
External links