‘Three Musketeer’ Remains

[phkrause]

The skeleton of what may have been Charles de Batz de Castelmore was discovered beneath a Dutch church, local media reported yesterday. The French soldier known as d'Artagnan was the inspiration behind Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel “The Three Musketeers.”  D’Artagnan was a 17th-century Gascon nobleman who traveled to Paris to serve as a member of the royal bodyguard. He served Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV before being killed in the 1673 siege of Maastricht. His body was never found. Now, researchers believe they may have found his remains in a Maastricht church. Renovations this year revealed a skeleton beneath where the altar used to be, suggesting the person buried there was important. A bullet at chest level also supports the theory the remains could be D’Artagnan. DNA analysis is ongoing. Learn about the history behind “The Three Musketeers”—including why they often fought with swords over muskets—here (w/video).