The late Princess Antoinette and the De Massy Family

[libra65]

I was just reading a website that claimed Princess Antoinette and her lover Jean Charles Rey plotted and schemed to overthrow and depose her brother Rainer and proclaim herself as Regent and Sovereign Princess.

Apparentley the princess circulated rumours that Rainier's fiancee, actress Gisele Pascal, was infertile which led to the breakup of the relationship.

But then Rainer married Grace and had children which put an end to her plotting. Also, it stated the Princess Grace had her removed from the palace and kicked out of Monaco!
(even though she lives down the coast from Monaco)

I was wondering if this story was true and can anyone fill me in on other details of this lady and story. I read she is quite eccentric and servants reffered to her as 'mad'.

I read she is also starting to be on good terms with the family these days.

I had previously read the same info although Gisele was just a lover/girlfriend not a fiancee. Antoinette already had a son, Christian, so she would be regent until he was of age to take over. I believe the whole thing ended up being blamed on Rey so things were smoothed over with Antoinette. I don't know if Grace ever trusted her though. I also read that Antoinette and her mother, Charlotte, treated Grace quite badly in the early years of her marriage.

 

[Australian]

thanks for that Libra, I never really noticed Antoinette before, she seems like an interesting lady to research

yes you are right, Rey was her lover, not fiance.

 

[paca]

thanks for that Libra, I never really noticed Antoinette before, she seems like an interesting lady to research

yes you are right, Rey was her lover, not fiance.

Actually Rey was her husband from 1961 on

 

[Elly C]

Hi, I'm new to the forum & came across this thread. I don't think it's been mentioned before that Antoinette married an English ballet dancer John Gilpin, but he died pretty soon afterwards (from a heart attack i think.) I remember reading his autobiography a long time ago & there were a few references to Monaco/ Antoinette but no hint of a romance/marriage which surprised me at the time. I seem to remember there was a photo of a young(ish) Antoinette greeting Gilpin at a ballet. I wonder if anyone knows anymore about their relationship & what Rainier made of her marriage to a dancer?

 

[paca]

Elly, John Gilpin wasn't just a dancer, but actually a very good one ballet.co - Legend

Annually the John Gilpin scholarship is being awarded to a dancer, participating at the exams held in Monaco.

 

[Elly C]

Sorry if I devalued him, I gather he was one of the leading dancers of his generation. I think he'd been a friend & confidante of Antoinette for many years before they married.

 

[cdm]

Does anyone have a picture of Christian de Massy at Rainier's funeral?

 

[anag]

Does anyone have a picture of Christian de Massy at Rainier's funeral?

He is the one sitting directly behind the Casiraghis (Charlotte, I think) during the funeral service, if I am not mistaken.

Ani

 

[auroraDaniel]

I'm confused - .... what does the special pet blessing event have to do with the Festival of Sacred Music?

I think you can find the answer here Monaco Revue -- The celebrity and lifestyle magazine with purpose

one of the paragraph in the article as I pasted below should give you the answer to that question

"The idea for a blessing of the animals came to Nall, an Alabama-born artist based in the French Riviera, when he worked last year among the Franciscans, who commissioned him to interpret the theme of Violata-Pax, translated as "Wounded Peace". (The pieces from that commission, including a large statue of a dove missing its right foot, toured France, Italy, Monaco and the United States.) Inspired by the legend of the love the order's founder, St Francis, had for all creatures, Nall decided to add a blessing of animals to the Sacred Music Festival he has organized in Monaco for the last five years."

 

[paca]

He is the one sitting directly behind the Casiraghis (Charlotte, I think) during the funeral service, if I am not mistaken.

Ani

No, if he was there (which I doubt), he was not sitting with the grandchildren. He did not sit with the family either. Maybe he was somewhere with other guests, but he was not sitting in the Altar room with family members.

 

[anag]

Oh well... I recant. I've seen pictures of him and I saw someone who looked like him sitting behind the Casiraghis. My bad.

Ani

 

[paca]

I think Melanie's brother bears some resemblance with him from afar, so that might account for it. Elizabeth-Anne was seated next to her daughter, who was seated next to her brother if my memory doesn't deceive me. there were also Ernsts children. Space is limited so they had the young generation on one side and the elders on the other.

 

[HMTLove23]

does Keith Knecht, grandson of Princess antionette have any children. Plus is their any photos of him and his wife.

 

[queenofthelight]

Notary and Monegasque politician Jean-Charles Rey and his wife Princess Antoinette of Monaco. (Monaco, 1962)
http://s5.tinypic.com/24pe9ee.jpg
http://s5.tinypic.com/rbxoqf.jpg (1924)
Princess Antoinette and Prince Rainier, charming offspring of Prince Pierre de Monaco, as they participated in a fancy dress parade at a garden party at Cannes, on the French Riviera. (1930)
http://s5.tinypic.com/9s5nbo.jpg
http://s5.tinypic.com/2nar57r.jpg (Monaco, 2001)

http://s5.tinypic.com/6rmqnd.jpg (1983)

 

[Renata4711]

It's Monaco Grand Prix week, and there is a connection between that and Princess Antoinette:

Her partner/boyfriend Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was a tennis champion and heir to a cigarette fortune.

He was also the son of Anthony Noghès (1890-1978) who was the founder of the Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.

1929 Monaco Grand Prix - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony Noghès - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexandre-Athenase Noghès - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Circuit de Monaco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[iceflower]

Pics 3.6.2009

Princess Antoinette is back for her annual pets event!
It's so great to see her again after such a long time!

An animal blessing office has been administrated by Monsignor
Barsi on Monaco cathedral forecourt during "Monaco Sacred
Music Festival", June 3, 2009 in Monaco. Princess Antoinette
and granddaughter Melanie were pictured during the blessing.


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 **

 

[Renata4711]

Princess Antoinette's face may be ravaged by age, but she is a trooper and turns out for her "signature" event.

It's nice to be able to write something about her in this forum.....

 

[maria-olivia]

Does any-one have a picture of Antoinette and her mother attending Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly's wedding in 1956 ? Thanks a lot

 

[hibou]

I was just reading a website that claimed Princess Antoinette and her lover Jean Charles Rey plotted and schemed to overthrow and depose her brother Rainer and proclaim herself as Regent and Sovereign Princess.

Apparentley the princess circulated rumours that Rainier's fiancee, actress Gisele Pascal, was infertile which led to the breakup of the relationship.

But then Rainer married Grace and had children which put an end to her plotting. Also, it stated the Princess Grace had her removed from the palace and kicked out of Monaco!
(even though she lives down the coast from Monaco)

I was wondering if this story was true and can anyone fill me in on other details of this lady and story. I read she is quite eccentric and servants reffered to her as 'mad'.

Wow, well it was not Antoinette that started the rumors about Gisele who was not Rainier's fiance but girlfriend. Antoinette did try to over throw Rainier. It was Rainier who put her "on notice" and removed her from the palace. In their later years, they were on much better terms.

 

[DuedePhiladelphia]

You're very welcome. Should you want more substantial information, do read Christian de Massy's book, Palace. Many of the Grimaldi supporters have denounced this book, as it mentions critical accounts especially against Rainier (and even Caroline). But I found the book very entertaining and satisfying, especially since Christian had nothing but praises for his aunt Grace. He wrote that only Grace was the member of the Grimaldis who had compassion and heart, and admitted he was jealous of his cousins for having Grace as their mother.

I read the book- he comes across as a spoiled and unappreactive child!

 

[Renata4711]

Perhaps he just preferred living a "normal" life.
Stephanie did the same, after all, when she temporarily abandoned the life of a princess, got involved with the circus, and lived in the US.

 

[sirhon11234]

Here is a picture of Princess Antoinette's daughter in-law

The Black Socialite TM: September 2008

 

[hibou]

Here is a picture of Princess Antoinette's daughter in-law

The Black Socialite TM: September 2008

I thought they were divorced? I thought Christian was living in Brazil or somewhere in South America. I know Cecile is active in Monaco charities but again I thought he divorced her a while ago. Does anyone know?

I read the book- he comes across as a spoiled and unappreactive child!

I would guess they all are spoiled to a certain extent. It would be hard not to be in that situation. There were some huge family issues not only between Rainier and Antoinette but within Antoinette's own family. She married and divorced quite a few times. It's bound to have it's effects on the kids.

 

[Renata4711]

A picture of Cécile de Massy at one of the "Ladies Lunches" of which she is the President. She comes originally from Guadeloupe.

Cécile de Massy, omni présente

 

[Bones]

Does anyone know why Cecile is the only one of this bunch 'making the scene'? I think Christian has been married twice since divorcing her (don't know their names or when or anything like that) and I don't think the two had any children (of course I could be wrong, I was thinking his boys were from his last two wives) so why is she being seen but virtually nothing is known about the others? Questions have been asked earlier in the thread about Christian's current whereabouts but no one seems to know.

 

[Biri]

does Keith Knecht, grandson of Princess antionette have any children. Plus is their any photos of him and his wife.

Yes, he & his wife Donatella di Guevarra Fabri have four children:
Christine (b.2000)
Alexia (b.2001)
Vittoria (b.2007)
& Andrea (b.2008)

Source:www.angelfire.com/in/heinbruins/Monaco

 

[Thtregoddess11]

okay, maybe this has been discussed/mentioned already somewhere...
I was searching wikipedia (I know, I know....) and came across Christian de Massy's page....
Anyone know if he married Cécile twice?
According to wikipedia, he was first married to Maria Marta Quintana y del Carril (Laetizia's mother, married in 1970, divorced in 1978), then to Cécile N(no date or other info given), then to Anne Michelle Lütken (1982-1987, Brice, born 1988...wonder if that would technically put Brice out of the succession due to his parents having been divorced at his birth....?) then to Cecile de Massey(I'm assuming that's a spelling error, and there's no marriage or divorce date, one son, Antoine, 1996 or 1997).

 

[Renata4711]

I've corrected a few bits in the Wiki articles, and I'll try to flesh out some more data.

There are Wikipedia articles on Alexandre-Athenase Noghès and Elisabeth-Anne de Massy: Alexandre-Athenase Noghès - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Elisabeth-Anne de Massy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If anyone has data which can be used in the articles, please let me know.

(Don't worry, I've been active on Wikipedia since 2002, and a serious contributor with over 10,000 edits)

 

[cdm]

This week's Point de Vue has an article about the de Massy's.
It has a family tree of that branch of the Grimaldi family.
Time for an update: found on Wikipedia and updated with info from the article.

Antoinette (born 1920) married 3 times, firstly with Alexandre Athanase Noghès (1916-1999) in 1951 (after their 3 children where born) divorce 1954, secondly with Jean Charles Rey (1914-1994) in 1961 divorce in 1973, thirdly with John Gilpin (1930-1983) who died a few weeks after the marriage

She has 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren

• Elisabeth-Anne (born 1947). Married firstly with Bernard Alexandre Taubert Natta (1941-1989) divorced, secondly with Nicolai Vladimir Costello de Lusignan (1943)
  • Jean-Léonard Taubert-Natta de Massy (b. 1974)
  • Mélanie de Lusignan (b. 1985)
• Christian Louis, Baron de Massy (Noghès) (b. Monaco, 17 January 1949), married firstly in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, on 14 November 1970 and divorced in 1978 María Marta Quintana y del Carril (b. London, 17 June 1951) and had one daughter, Leticia, married secondly in Ramatuelle on 11 September 1982 and divorced in 1987 Anne Michelle Lütken (28 November 1959 - London, 25 November 2001), without issue, married thirdly without issue, and married fourthly Cécile N (b. Guadeloupe), and had 2 sons:
  • Leticia de Massy (Noghès) (b. Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 16 May 1971), married to Thomas de Brouwer (b. Antwerp, 22 March 1973), two children:
    • Rose (2008)
    • Sylvestre (2008)
  • Brice de Massy (1988)
  • Antoine de Massy (1996)
• Christine Alix de Massy (Noghès) (Monaco, 8 July 1951 - Nice, 15 February 1989), married firstly in Monaco on 14 February 1972 and divorced in 1976 Charles Wayne Knecht (b. Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, 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, Pennsylvania, 1972), married in July 1999 Donatella Dugaginy, four children:
    • Christine (2000)
    • Alexia (2001)
    • Vittoria (2007)
    • Andrea (2008)

The Point de Vue article is about Charlene and the de Massy's.
She went skiing with Donatella and was photgraphed with little Vittoria.
Donatella also accompanied to South Africa.
And she knows Cecile from the Ladies Lunch in Monaco.

 

[NGalitzine]

My understanding has always been that the granting of the title Baronne de Massy by Prince Rainier was a personal one, only for Antoinettes lifetime and not hereditary in her family. The purpose was to give her children a surname other than their fathers. Although Christian uses the title of Baron, or is at least sometimes called Baron, it is a title that is not really his to use.
Does anyone have any information on this title.