The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the death of an Irish citizen - reported to be the butler to Princess Caroline of Monaco and Prince Ernst August of Hanover - in Austria.
The man's body was discovered in a river in Austria where he drowned following a heavy drinking session.
The 40-year-old man, who has not been named, served as personal butler to the controversial prince at his hunting castle in the upper Austrian town of Gruenau. A delivery man found his body underneath a bridge a short distance from the castle early last Wednesday morning. According to the head of the upper Austrian police, Mr Alois Lissl, the butler left the royal castle to attend a birthday party in a nearby town.
He was driven home at 3 a.m. by two friends, who described him as "very drunk". He had insisted on being dropped off a short distance from the prince's property, saying he would walk the rest of the distance, Mr Lissl added.
Investigators believe he slipped and fell into the Alm river and hit his head on a stone.