The Man in the Iron Mask

“The Man in the Iron Mask” is a moniker given to an unidentified French prisoner in the 17th and 18th century whose face was perpetually hidden. Contemporary accounts suggest that the mask was most likely made of black velvet, rather than iron. Many believe that The Man in the Iron Mask was a nobleman or someone very close to nobility. All seem to agree that he was incarcerated for either his appearance or something he knew rather than something he did.