The late Princess Antoinette and the De Massy Family


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Was the children’s surname Noghes before the creation of their mother’s title?

All 3 children namely Elizabeth Anne (1947), Christian (1949) and Christine-Alix (1951-1989) were named Grimaldi at first since they were born out of wedlock. In November 15 1951, Princess Antoinette was created Baroness de Massy and an ordinance was passed same day declaring their name change to "de Massy." However, all 3 children were only legitimated by their parents subsequent marriage in December 4 1951.

Christian who was referred as Baron de Massy even during her mother's lifetime was only only given the right to use the title officially in 2009, 2 years before her mother's death. This was made official after the release of his diplomatic passport confirming he is indeed Baron de Massy.
 
Christian who was referred as Baron de Massy even during her mother's lifetime was only only given the right to use the title officially in 2009, 2 years before her mother's death. This was made official after the release of his diplomatic passport confirming he is indeed Baron de Massy.

Can you be more specific about how he was "given the right" in 2009? As far as I am aware, this branch of the family has long been known as Baron/Baroness.
 
Can you be more specific about how he was "given the right" in 2009? As far as I am aware, this branch of the family has long been known as Baron/Baroness.

Princess Antoinette was made Baroness de Massy but her children are not entitled to it. It was not until 2009 that Christian's use of the title was made official.
 
Princess Antoinette was made Baroness de Massy but her children are not entitled to it. It was not until 2009 that Christian's use of the title was made official.

Do you mean that the act of creation stated that the children are not entitled to be addressed by the title?
 
Do you mean that the act of creation stated that the children are not entitled to be addressed by the title?

Yes. You can read Christian's book for reference.

Palace: My Life in the Royal Family of Monaco by Baron Christian de Massy & Charles Higham (1986, Atheneum, ISBN 0-689-11636-5)
 
Yes. You can read Christian's book for reference.

Palace: My Life in the Royal Family of Monaco by Baron Christian de Massy & Charles Higham (1986, Atheneum, ISBN 0-689-11636-5)

Thank you very much. I appreciate your providing the reference.

If it is not too much trouble, would you mind elaborating on what Baron Christian says in regard to the title? Does he include the specific wording of the creation?
 
Thank you very much. I appreciate your providing the reference.

If it is not too much trouble, would you mind elaborating on what Baron Christian says in regard to the title? Does he include the specific wording of the creation?

There was really no recorded ordinance or whatsoever regarding this. However, it was reported in 2009, following the release of his new diplomatic passport that he was officially recognized as Baron de Massy. I am trying to uncover the link but it's not working right now.

What is certain is that before time there use of their mother's title was not officially recognized in Monaco since they are not entitled to it.
 
I've often wondered given the volume of titles held by the Prince of Monaco why Rainier III granted his sister the lowly one of Baroness when he could have made her Countess of Polignac as an example.
 
I've often wondered given the volume of titles held by the Prince of Monaco why Rainier III granted his sister the lowly one of Baroness when he could have made her Countess of Polignac as an example.

I was wondering of that too. Is it because that's a French title? Or maybe he is bitter with his father? We can only speculate really.
 
I know they had a tense relationship and often wondered is that why he made her a mere Baroness rather than a Countess or Duchess.
 
I know they had a tense relationship and often wondered is that why he made her a mere Baroness rather than a Countess or Duchess.

Actually, if you were to ask me who is the most controversial figure of royalty/princely family of the 20th century? I think the Baroness would be part of my top 5. Imagine what she and her lover (before they got married) Jean-Charles Rey did to depose Prince Rainier III and to declare herself regent on the basis of having a son who would one day inherit the throne. It was one big of a controversy then that led to the breakup of the Sovereign Prince and her French Actress girlfriend Gisèle Pascal after rumors of her being infertile broke out.
 
There was really no recorded ordinance or whatsoever regarding this. However, it was reported in 2009, following the release of his new diplomatic passport that he was officially recognized as Baron de Massy. I am trying to uncover the link but it's not working right now.

What is certain is that before time there use of their mother's title was not officially recognized in Monaco since they are not entitled to it.

Thank you for undertaking to trace the report. If you are able to uncover a working link at a later time, I hope that you can share it. :flowers:

My guess is that the unofficial use of their mother/grandmother's title is a derivation from the historic French and Italian influence on Monaco. In the aristocracy of France and likewise in the historical Italian aristocracy, many titles were officially recognized only for the individual who received it under primogeniture, but were used unofficially even during his lifetime by his children and grandchildren who were not entitled to it.

I've often wondered given the volume of titles held by the Prince of Monaco why Rainier III granted his sister the lowly one of Baroness when he could have made her Countess of Polignac as an example.

As Prince Pierre was a younger son the titles held by the Polignacs did not pass to the House of Grimaldi, but the titles held by the Princes of Monaco include many titles of Marquess and Count which could have been conferred on the Princess. Perhaps Rainier III thought Countess or Marchioness was too high an honor for a sister with whom he had such an uneasy relationship?
 
Thank you for undertaking to trace the report. If you are able to uncover a working link at a later time, I hope that you can share it. :flowers:

My guess is that the unofficial use of their mother/grandmother's title is a derivation from the historic French and Italian influence on Monaco. In the aristocracy of France and likewise in the historical Italian aristocracy, many titles were officially recognized only for the individual who received it under primogeniture, but were used unofficially even during his lifetime by his children and grandchildren who were not entitled to it.



As Prince Pierre was a younger son the titles held by the Polignacs did not pass to the House of Grimaldi, but the titles held by the Princes of Monaco include many titles of Marquess and Count which could have been conferred on the Princess. Perhaps Rainier III thought Countess or Marchioness was too high an honor for a sister with whom he had such an uneasy relationship?


It could also be that case. But what I think is, Prince Rainier III must have only given her a title for life and not a hereditary one. It also remains a mystery yet if the "Baron de Massy" that Christian is officially using right now can be inherited by his only legitimate son Antoine de Massy. His son with the Guadeloupean, Cécile Irène Gelabale.
 
I've often wondered given the volume of titles held by the Prince of Monaco why Rainier III granted his sister the lowly one of Baroness when he could have made her Countess of Polignac as an example.

The title Prince (Princesse) and Comte (Comtesse) de Polignac belongs to the head of the paternal House of Rainier, Albert and Jacques, all male agnates of the Maison de Polignac. The actual Chef is Armand-Charles Emmanuel Marie Joseph Jules de Polignac (born 1946), 8e duc de Polignac. The current Duke has no issue. His heirs come out of a younger son of the 5e duc de Polignac.

1
Alain Aimery Edmond Armand Prince de Polignac (1940)
Son of Edmond Jean Henri Marie Prince de Polignac (1914-2010)
And of Ghislaine Charlotte Claire Paule Brinquant-Durand de Villers (1918)

2
Ludovic Alain Edmond Jean Marie Prince de Polignac (1974)
Son of Alain Aimery Edmond Armand Prince de Polignac (1940)
And of Nathalie Marie Princesse de Ligne (1948-1992)

Prince Rainier had no right to bestow the title Comtesse de Polignac on Antoinette (but she herself WAS a Polignac, of course, as Grimaldi is just the chosen name of the dynasty).

In agnatic descendance Grimaldi is extinct for centuries. Charlotte (Rainier's mother) was a De Goyon de Matignon who married a De Polignac.
 
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Prince Rainier had no right to bestow the title Comtesse de Polignac on Antoinette (but she herself WAS a Polignac, of course, as Grimaldi is just the chosen name of the dynasty).

In agnatic descendance Grimaldi is extinct for centuries. Charlotte (Rainier's mother) was a De Goyon de Matignon who married a De Polignac.

Grimaldi is not only the inherited name of the dynasty but the only family name of the princes and princesses of Monaco, although under current practice they do not usually use a last name. In contrast to the Netherlands, the husbands of Monegasque sovereign princesses took on the Grimaldi name and their birth names were never passed to their Grimaldi issue.
 
Wasn't Prince Jaques Ier a member of the Goyon de Matignon ,he also married a Princess of Monaco (Louise).
 
Wasn't Prince Jaques Ier a member of the Goyon de Matignon ,he also married a Princess of Monaco (Louise).

Yes, that's right. His family name was changed to Grimaldi on marriage (as noted in the ordinance which changed the name of Hereditary Princess Charlotte's husband to Grimaldi), but he remained the heir to his parents' dominions, from which are derived several titles held by the princes of Monaco, for example Count of Thorigny.
 
Duc and pair , the late princess Antoinette and the De Massy Family

Antoine de Massy in Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.


**https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qdP92A5Sg/

Always, the same story, it is hard to read that there is no more Grimaldi, the names of the family went through the women, , the women are not inferior to the men, they belong to the family , what an old idea!

The Grimaldi family is like the other royal families, we are never saying that the Dutch royal family is not the Orange family since a long time , Queen Wilhemin was married with Henry of Mecklemburg Scherin, Julian was then Juliana Mecklemburg scherin who married Berhanrd of Lippe Bietersfeld , Beatrix was then Beatrix of Lippe Biesterfeld who married Claus Von Amsberg, whe never called the King Wilhem Alexander, mister Von Amsberg

He is the King of the niederland , orange dynastie


It is the same for the Grand Duc Henry , his mother married Felix of Nassau

Same for the Queen of England, Charles of Wales will not be Mister of Mountbattem


In the next years, the children of the future Queens in the europa monarchies will keep the names of the dynaties whose they will belong even if their fathers will not be from these dynasties

these comments are haughtly and not true,


The women have the equal rights and among these rights , the name of the family Why the the names would Always passed throught the men , explain us Why?
 
On February 11 Elisabeth-Anne de Massy as President of the Monegasque Tennis Federation attended the press conference for this year's Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters 2020 (you can spot her side profile in the middle of the photo ?):



** Pic **
 
A very sad new, she was a very discret person and very warm and kind
Condoléances to her family

She was very near to her daughter Mélanie, I think to her
 
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Very sad news!

What was the reason of her death?

May she rest in peace.

Condolences to her children and grandson.
 
How very sad,rest in peace Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy.

We had not seen the baroness in sometime I did not know she was ill.

Of all Prince Albert's cousins the baroness had a strong family bond.
 
Oh, how sad!!! May she rest in peace and may God comfort her family.
My condolences to the Grimaldi family… :sad:
 
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What terribly sad news, I'm shocked.

May she rest in peace!
 
This is a shock. I didn't know she had even been ill.:sad:
 
We could guess she was ill, we have not seen her since last year apart the Masters meeting where she was present to prepare the tennis masters,
She lost a lot of weight and she was very frail
 
That's very true the baroness did look frail at her last appearance and I had noticed her absence from a lot of Princely Family events where she was always a familiar face and support to her cousin.
 
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