Man in the Iron Mask one ever saw his face because it was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth, the true identity of the prisoner remains a mystery; it has been extensively debated by historians, and various theories have been expounded in numerous books and films. Among the leading theories are those proposed by writer and philosopher Voltaire: he claimed in the second edition of his "Questions sur l'Encyclopédie" (1771) that the prisoner wore a mask made of iron rather than of cloth, and that he was the older, illegitimate brother of Louis XIV. What little is known about the historical Man in
Man in the Iron Mask even with his sister, unless in your presence or in the presence of one of the priests of the mission". The letter was signed by the king and Colbert. A poem written by Louis-Henri de Loménie de Brienne, himself an inmate at the time, indicates that Eustache Dauger de Cavoye died as a result of heavy drinking in the late 1680s. Historians consider all this proof enough that he was not involved in any way with the man in the mask. Man in the Iron Mask The Man in the Iron Mask (French: "L'Homme au Masque de Fer"; c. 1640