Do We Finally Know the Identity of the Man in the Iron Mask?

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Thoughty2 (Arran) is a British YouTuber and gatekeeper of useless facts. Thoughty2 creates mind-blowing factual videos about science, tech, history, opinion and just about everything else.
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Writing: Steven Rix
Editing: Matt Murray

[Carplit]

This guy is honestly one of if not the greatest story teller

[BelcarrigFarm]

Maybe the real man in the iron mask was the friends we made along the way

[obsessivelyobsessed]

isn't it possible that Voltaire came up with the iron mask as a metaphor for being kept silent by force of law, as well as to hide his identity?

[NewDawnCircle]

Voltaire: "we should be rational and only do and believe things based on evidence." Also Voltaire: spreads rumours with no evidence.

[incredibleflameboy]

The man in the iron mask was the first attempt at forming slipknot. I firmly believe that the heavily guarded prison was a secret recording studio where look outside your window was recorded

[jeffrapier]

I figure, if it was someone kept alive, it would have to be someone who the king held a significant sentimental attachment to, or a bitter enemy whom the king felt just putting him (or her even) to death would be too quick. Someone the king would want to have suffer. A random valet who knew a dirty secret would just be beheaded and done with.

[Warfiend]

The fact that they kept him alive for so long is what makes those theories possible. Normally they would just kill someone in that situation, especially in the 1600s it was an absolute monarchy. He must have been too "important" to kill, so instead he was basically tortured for 30 years, sheesh.

[tonicastel]

The French kings had such extensive power, believed to be divinely appointed, that only a truly significant moral or existential threat would have compelled Louis XIV from executing someone who clearly presented a big threat to him. The fact that he kept the prisoner alive hints to me that the prisoner was a blood relation to Louis, meaning that his murder would result in eternal punishment of Louis’ eternal soul.

If the prisoner were a disgraced courtier, general or any other subject, no such eternal obstacle would have existed to his execution.

[gamma]

Maybe the "Iron Mask" was the amount of iron doors that stood between his identity and the outside world?

[jorgenamnum]

its crazy how the plan to keep him a secret worked perfectly

[TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

We may not know the identity of the man in the iron mask, but who's the man behind your mustache?

[silverhawkscape]

When it comes to the storyteller Genre on Youtube. 42 is one of the best of the Best!

[Afrikoe]

It probably has to do with the French words for "fur" (some specifiek kind), "glass" and "iron". "Vair", "verre" and "fer" respectively. They kind of sound alike.
So the mask was made of soft fabric, like the slippers of Cinderella.
There. Mystery solved. You're welcome.

[gryfaerie]

I watched this video and then talked about this with my mum after university today - we discussed the gay theory, and how it draws interesting parallels to the film, but also it just makes sense.
Honestly even though I’m doing a Bachelor’s in History and plan on getting my PhD, this guy has taught me more than my tutors have, and I’m more engaged in this type of content than with any of my previous history classes 😭

[cole]

I recently discovered your channel and I'm learning so much interesting things. Thanks for keeping up the hard work!

[bigpapa]

I’m convinced he’s saying 42 on purpose now knowing we all think that’s what he says

[britannicgeneral]

"We live in an era"-Englishman with a good sense of moustache....wait a minute...

[maxbuchanan]

Now, let's get realistic: Solitary Confinement has some pretty drastic effects on the human mind. After the 5th year kept in such a manner, Whoever the guy was, he would be a gibbering Lunatic. The notion that Anyone would listen to, or even Understand, a word he said after his mind degraded in the dark, is highly unlikely. Meaning the containment procedures and secrecy had little to do with What he Knew, and Alot more to do with Who he Was. Now, consider Just How Many people royals killed or had killed with little to no regard, and the chance of it being anyone who wasn't a Direct Blood Relative of the king is slim to none. And now, how many royals killed their siblings? Many. How many killed their Fathers to ensure their own rule? Quite a few. But yknow who Often (but far from Always) escaped the chopping block? Children. Specifically Male children, legitimate or illegitimate. I think the man in the mask was the illegitimate Son of the king, who after his discovery, even likelier still the illegitimate heir to the throne who prior to being discovered had taken up the Cloth (priest or monk or friar etc) as it was Very much so frowned upon to Kill holy men. Furthermore: the soundproofing. Sure, if he knew some specific secret it'd be lost to the madness. But the constant reciting of holy texts and prayers, the kind of thing you could Only learn if you were a) Literate and b) A Member of the Church? That kind of indoctrination sticks with you, and in an Era when Literacy was almost entirely reserved for the Nobility OR the Church? That's a Clear signal to anyone who hears him saying that is a Nobleman, and Likely a holy man. Worse so if he both Looked like AND sounded like his father, the King. Just my two cents worth.

[luvprue]

I always found the fact that he wore a mask so no one would know who he is very interesting. It seem like there would be some records of who he was, and why he wore the mask. I like to believe that maybe he was the king's half brother/brother that the king didn't want anyone to know about.

[hannahwebster]

Apparently in this time period there was debate over which twin was oldest - The one who was born second was sometimes seen to have been conceived first. In this situation there could have been a lot of rivalry over who the true heir to the throne was.