The man behind the Iron Mask – A 350-year-old Mystery

Paul Sonnino, Professor of History at the University of California at Santa Barbara, says, he has figured out who hid behind the famous iron mask in France.

The legend of the iron mask is one of the greatest mysteries of European history, which has been depicted in romantic novels and American movies.

The legend started on 13th September 1638, when Anne of Austria, the wife of King Louis XIII, gave birth to twins.

One of them became the Crown Prince (later Louis XIV). In order to prevent a sibling feud, Crown Prince Louis and his twin were kept apart under strict custody arrangements. When the ‘hidden’ twin grew up, he was imprisoned in the Bastille Prison.

Voltaire was the first to write about the man behind the iron mask, followed later on by Dumas. Meanwhile, in 1998 Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed the role on the big screen.

So far, the identity of the man behind the iron mask remains unconfirmed. However, most historians dealing with the subject agree that the prisoner could really have been a royal descendant. Furthermore, the records claim that the man died in 1703, which means that he would have lived for decades inside the mask. That said, medical experts who have investigated the case believe that this would have been impossible.

According to several historians, the prisoner’s name could have been Eustache Dauger, while Professor Sonnino claims that the prisoner would only have had to wear a mask on occasion, which, in any case, was made of silk, not iron. According to Sonnino, there is also scientific consensus that the prisoner was likely a servant of someone, instead of a royal descendant, who saw, said or did something that conflicted with the interests of his employer. Sonnino goes further, claiming that the man behind the mask was the henchman of Cardinal Jules Mazarin.

Mazarin entered the French royal court at the time of Louis XIII. Later, he became the main adviser to the young Louis XIV. The cardinal (later the Chief Minister of the Royal Council) brought with him enormous wealth from ecclesiastical and secular sources. According to Sonnino, Mazarin’s henchman Eustache could have been aware of some of the property that had been illegally acquired by the cardinal. If so, Eustache would have been arrested and told that if he revealed his identity, he would be killed instantly, the professor claims.

According to Sonnino, this mystery could have been solved many years ago. But, thanks to the prevailing ignorance among historians, the identity of the man behind the mask may never be revealed.