Profile: Melanie-Antoinette de Massy

  April 20, 2011 at 7:34 pm by

Early this month, Caroline de Monaco, Princesse de Hanovre officiated at the opening day lunch for the Rolex Masters Tournament in Monte-Carlo. Caroline’s luncheon with tournament officials and players was covered in this blog. The day was followed by several charitable fundraising events that were not covered in this blog.

Most years, Caroline’s cousin Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy has a prominent part in the opening of the tournament and the presentation of the winner’s cup. This year, the daughter of the late Princess Antoinette, who is president of the country club where the tournament is held and is also president of the tournament’s organizing committee, was not seen. We can presume that she was still in mourning, but there is something else that can be accountable.

 

View more images of Melanie-Antoinette at Zimbio

The baroness’ daughter, Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, assumed the leading role in organizing the charitable events that followed the opening of the tournament. Melanie, whose father is the Netherlands-based ballet master Nikolai de Lusignan, was in charge, as she was last year, of the Rolex Masters launch party at Zelo’s restaurant. But then there were more festivities to raise funds for serious causes. There was Forest Night on MY Christina O in aid of the Prince Albert II Foundation’s project of forest preservation. Melanie also organized an “exhibition match” (a regular part of the tournament) for Aces Against AIDS and a gala auction for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Since she finished her studies at the International School of Monaco about five years ago, Melanie has been increasingly involved in promoting Monaco’s philanthropic and charitable interests. Born on 18 January 1985, Melanie is one of Princess Antoinette’s five grandchildren. Her father, the 1960s ballet dancer who now teaches at the Rotterdam Dance Academy, was born Nikolai Costello in England, but, in the 60s, assumed the professional name of Nikolai de Lusignan. Melanie was born “Melanie de Lusignan” but since her emergence in Monegasque public life, she has been going by Mademoiselle Melanie-Antoinette de Massy. She has an older half-brother, Jean-Leonard, who got married last year (details unfortunately below my radar) and is a member of the Monaco Ambassadors Club.

 

View more images of Melanie-Antoinette at Zimbio

Melanie and her brother regularly accompany their mother to the Rose Ball and the Red Cross Gala. Melanie, in particular, is her mother’s most valuable sidekick in all things relating to the Masters tournament. Melanie has a day job, so to speak. She heads up the advising team for “Projects Monaco” for Daniel Giersch Ventures.

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