Royal Profile: Christian Louis de Massy

Christian Louis de Massy was born as Christian Louis Grimaldi on 17 January 1949{Source}.He is the middle child and only son of the late Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy and Alexandre-Athenase Noghès{Source}. He has two sisters, four former brothers-in-law, two nephews, two nieces-in-law, a niece and four great-nieces{Source}:

1. Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy (1947)
1. Baron Bernhard Taubert-Natta (m. 1974-1983, div, he died in 1989)
1. Baron Jean-Leonard Taubert Natta (1974)
1. Baroness Susanna Taubert Natta (m 2009)
2. Nicolai Vladimir Costello (m. Oct 1984-1985)
1. Melanie-Antoinette de Massy (1985)
2. Christine-Alix de Massy (1949-1989)
1. K. Sebastian Knecht de Massy (1972)
1. Donatella Knecht de Massy (1972)
1. Christine de Massy (2001)
2. Alexia de Massy (2002)
3. Vittoria de Massy (2007)
4. Andrea de Massy (2008)

When his parents legitimatized him and his sisters with their 1951 marriage, his mother promptly changed their last name to de Massy, after her new title, Baroness de Massy. Also when his parents married, his mother allegedly scheming to stage a coup d'état and place him upon the throne-her plot failed. In 2002 the constitution was adjusted to allow siblings of the reigning Prince and their descendants to succeed to the throne, and Christian was officially included as 11th in line of succession to the Monegasque throne. (Ed note: currently, if that little clause was not in place, he would currently be 11th in line after Pauline Ducruet. Technically, he is on top of the "pool" of Grimaldi descendants eligible for the throne if the current line fails. Yes. I counted right-11th: Jacques, Gabriella, Caroline, Andrea, Pierre, Charlotte, Alexandra, Stephanie, Louis, Pauline....Sacha & India Santo Domingo ARE NOT GRIMALDIS, therefore cannot be in line for the throne, unlike Raphael, Jazmin, Alexandre, and Camille whom are all illegitimate so they are not eligible unless their parents marry in the future)

.He was educated in Monaco, Switzerland and England. Christian Louis was a pupil at the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, where he was expelled{Source}. From September 1963-July 1967 he was resident at Downside School, Somerset, UK.He attended Cambridge University for a short time, but dropped out.


Over the years, he has had a variety of careers. He tried to become a Grand Prix Race Car Driver, but his uncle halted his efforts {Source}.He penned a book in the 1980s entitledPalace: My Life in The Royal Family of Monaco{Source}.He has a reputation of being a black sheep of his family {Source}.
He's been married four times, and has a daughter, a son-in-law, two stepgranddaughters, a grandson, a granddaughter, an adopted son and a biological son:

1. María Marta Quintana y del Carril (1970-1978)
1. Jonkvrouw Leticia de Massy de Brouwer (1971)
1. Jonkheer Thomas de Brouwer (1973)
1. Jonkvrouw Hermine de Brouwer (2001, stepdaughter)
2. Jonkvrouw Lillah de Brouwer (2003, stepdaughter)
3. Jonkvrouw Rose de Brouwer (2008, daughter)
4. Jonkheer Sylvestre de Brouwer (2008, son)
2. Anne Michelle Lütken (1982-1987, no issue)
3. Julia Lakschin (1992-1995, no issue)
4. Cécile Gelabale (1997-present)
1. Brice Souleyman Gelabale-de Massy (1988, Cecile's biological son, his adopted son)
2. Antoine de Massy (1997)

Christian is often referred to as "Baron de Massy", even during the lifetime of his mother, the original grantee of the title and, since then, without indication that the title was granted hereditary. (Ed note: None of Monaco's titles are theoretically hereditary-they all come as favors of the prince. Once Antoinette died in 2011, the title Barone de Massy reverted back to the crown, Albert has not granted it to anyone else).
His paternal grandfather, Antony Noghès, was the founder of the Monaco Grand Prix.
He rarely attends Monaco public events, however we have seen him and his family in recent years at certain big events. Some of these events include Monaco's National Day (2014, directly behind Andrea Casiraghi), the wedding of The Prince and Princess of Monaco, and his mother's 2011 funeral service. He was most recently seen at the 2015 National Day celebrations with his sister, niece, nephew, daughter and youngest son {Photos}(he can be seen directly behind Princess Caroline, his daughter is next to him)