Editing Man in the Iron Mask (section)

====King's illegitimate son====
In 1745, an anonymous writer published a book in Amsterdam, ''Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire de la Perse'', romanticising life at the French Court in the form of Persian history. Members of the royal family and locations were given fictitious Persian names,{{sfn|Mongrédien|1961|p=33}} and their key was published in the book's third edition (1759).{{sfn|Noone|1988|p=51}} In this tale, Louis XIV's illegitimate son, [[Louis, Count of Vermandois]], is alleged to have struck his half-brother, [[Louis, Grand Dauphin]], causing the King to banish him to life imprisonment, first at the Île Sainte-Marguerite and later at the Bastille. He was made to wear a mask whenever he was to be seen or attended to, when sick or in other circumstances.{{sfn|Anonymous|1745}}{{sfn|Mongrédien|1961|pp=33–37}}{{sfn|Noone|1988|pp=51–54}} The theory of Vermandois as the prisoner in the mask was later mentioned by [[Henri Griffet]], in 1769, as having circulated during the reign of Louis XIV, therefore long before 1745.{{sfn|Griffet|1769|p=323}}{{sfn|Mongrédien|1961|p=236}}

In reality, there are no historical records of gossip confirming that Vermandois ever struck the Grand Dauphin.{{sfn|Mongrédien|1961|pp=37–38}}{{sfn|Noone|1988|p=54}} In the memoirs of Louis XIV's first cousin, the [[Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier|Duchess of Montpensier]], there is mention of Vermandois having displeased the King for taking part in orgies in 1682, and being temporarily banished from court as a result. After promising to mend his way, he was sent&mdash;soon after his 16th birthday&mdash;to join the army in [[Courtrai]] during the [[War of the Reunions]] (1683–84), in early November 1683. He distinguished himself in the battle line, but died of a fever during the night of 17 November. The King was reported to be deeply affected by his son's death, and Vermandois' sister, [[Marie Anne de Bourbon]], was inconsolable while their mother, [[Louise de La Vallière]], sought solace in endless prayer at her [[Carmelites]] [[Couvent des Carmélites du faubourg Saint-Jacques|convent]] in Paris.{{sfn|Mongrédien|1961|pp=38–39}}{{sfn|Noone|1988|p=51}}