#43: The Mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask

Even though it seems like high-profile mysteries only really occur in today’s day and age, mysteries associated with people in high places have existed for a long time. The biggest mystery of the 17th century is that of the Man in the Iron Mask. The Man in the Iron Mask remains an unidentified French prisoner of the state who died in 1703. In four French prisons, this man was held under the custody of the same jailer, Benigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars. Even though people never knew the Man’s true identity, many people speculated who this man might be.

This man was known to wear a black mask throughout his life in prison, never allowing anyone to see his true identity. Whilst there are many theories about the man behind the mask, some people believe that he was the illegitimate son of King Louis XIV and potentially even his brother. Considering how far his guards and prison warden took protecting this man’s identity, people believed he had to be of great importance. To this day, the identity of this man remains a mystery, and all we have are the many paintings of the Man in the Iron Mask…