One of the most famous characters in French literature is the Man in the Iron Mask. Voltaire first broached the story of the older illegitimate brother of Louis XIV (the product of a liaison between Queen Anne and Cardinal Mazarin). According to Voltaire, he was locked up in an iron mask. Alexandre Dumas picked it up from there and several movies ensued. Moviegoers and historians have wondered who the prisoner was for many years. Some theories have proposed a nobleman, a failed assassin, a disgraced general, the twin brother of the king, and even the playwright Moliere. One historian thinks the poor soul was the musketeer d’Artagnon! The most likely candidate was a valet of the king named Eustache Dauger. He was imprisoned in 1669, which corresponds to the 1669-1670 time frame. He might have gotten involved in a political scandal. He fits the story of a man who was condemned to never have contact with anyone besides his guards. The cells were terrible and the food was bad. By the way, the mask was actually a black velvet mask. He only had to wear it when he might be seen, like when he crossed the prison courtyard to attend mass in the chapel. A recent book by historian Paul Sonnino supports the valet theory. He found evidence that Eustache Dauger was the valet of Cardinal Mazarin’s treasurer. He posits that Dauger found out about some financial malfeasance. Whoever the poor soul was, his 34-year imprisonment ended with his death in the Bastilles on November 19, 1703.
https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-the-man-in-the-iron-mask/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_Iron_Mask
https://www.history.com/news/who-was-the-man-in-the-iron-mask
https://www.livescience.com/54669-man-in-the-iron-mask-identified.html
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