France. A man cowers on the cold ground of his prison cell, arms tightly wrapped around his legs. Incarcerated for reasons unknown to the public, he keeps the truth hidden behind an iron mask, condemned to never see the light of day again for more than three decades. No one knows who he is or where he came from.

In an attempt to erase his existence from history soon after his passing, his belongings were destroyed, his solitary prison cell scrubbed and whitewashed and anything iron he wore melted down. Only when he died in 1703, buried anonymously under the name “Marchioly”, did his existence spark controversy about his true identity, raising the question:

Just who was “L’homme au Masque de Fer“ – the Man in the Iron Mask?

Based on a real incident

Contrary to common belief, the masked convict actually did exist. Imprisoned and arrested during the age of King Louis XIV of France in July 1669, the mysterious mask bearer was held prisoner in many French jails and ultimately ended up in the Bastille. Life behind bars was as secretive as his identity. Locked in a tower, his solitary cell was layered with multiple doors, designed to keep outsiders from listening in and the prisoner from escaping. Once a day, a visit was permitted only for necessities like food and water.

“L’Homme au Masque de Fer”. Anonymous print.

The at all times masked prisoner wanders from prison to prison

During his imprisonment, the man in the iron mask would be moved from prison to prison because of Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, the governor of Pignerol prison and in charge of guarding the convict, who was appointed several positions in France and Italy over the years. Their journey took them to Exilles Fort in northern Italy to the French island Sainte-Marguerite and lastly to the Bastille. Wherever Saint-Mars went, the man in the iron mask would have to trail along.

As shrouded in mystery as the mysterious prisoner may be, when it comes to the mask itself, the opinions diverge. Legend has it that the mask was made of iron but recent claims suggest it was rather made out of black velvet instead. However, one thing remains certain: Throughout his imprisonment, he never took it off.

A glimpse behind the mask – Was the mysterious prisoner ever identified?

Historians and eager mystery enthusiasts alike theorized on just who the Man in the Iron Mask could be. Over time, a few compelling names came into focus.

Louis XIV’s real father

British historian Hugh Ross Williamson surmises that King Louis’ real biological father was the Man in the Iron Mask. King Louis XIV’s birth was deemed miraculous back then since Queen Anne of Austria and Lous XIII had been estranged for fourteen years. Allegedly, the true father came back to France to extort money from the royals and thus ended up incarcerated.

Louis XIV’s illegitimate half-sibling

Philosopher François Voltaire claimed that the Man in the Iron Mask was the son of Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin, and therefore an illegitimate half-brother of King Louis XIV. In order to refrain from his right to the throne, he was hidden away from the public. It is important to note that Voltaire himself was long after the masked man’s passing a prisoner at the Bastille due to his revolutionary and anti-aristocratic attitude. His theory highly likely would have served as an important means to an end to disrupt the royal family’s credibility.

Eustache Dauger

The most accepted theory is that the Man in the Mask was Eustache Dauger, a valet for Cardinal Mazarin, former principal minister of France. Whether Dauger was his actual name or an alias remains unclear. Mazarin has acquired a fortune from the previous king and queen of England and it is possible that Dauger thought the money to be stolen. In order not to spill the fraud, Dauger was incarcerated and threatened to be killed if he ever revealed his identity to anyone.

The Man in the Iron Mask, in Once a Week Magazine (1860)

Many have tried to get a glimpse behind the mask but none have exposed him for sure. Just like the circumstances of his imprisonment, it appears his true identity will remain shrouded in mystery, but his myth lives on in today’s media.

Sources:

https://www.truecrimeedition.com/post/man-in-the-iron-mask
https://www.livescience.com/54669-man-in-the-iron-mask-identified.html
https://www.britannica.com/biography/the-man-in-the-iron-mask-French-convict
https://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/story-man-iron-mask-002419

Pictures:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Man_in_the_Iron_Mask_-_Once_a_Week,_25_August_1860.png
https://loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.07185