D'Artagnan's remains likely found in the Netherlands. What is known

The skeleton was found directly beneath the spot where the church altar used to be.

Joes Walke, deacon of the Saints Peter and Paul church in Maastricht, helped excavate the skeleton and is 99% sure it belongs to Charles de Batz de Castelmore — a close aide to Louis XIV, known as Count d'Artagnan, writes the BBC.

D'Artagnan died during the Siege of Maastricht in 1673 but was later immortalized in Alexandre Dumas' adventure novels as a friend of the three musketeers.

For a long time, there were rumors that he was buried in this very church, but until now, there was no evidence.

Deacon Walke told the BBC that no one had ever dug under the floor before, but since several tiles were damaged, they decided to look underneath them. At first, they hit a wall and took a brush to dig further.

At this stage, an archaeologist was called in, who discovered the skeleton under the spot where the altar stood 200 years ago.

"We almost fell silent when we found the first bone," he said, adding that there are several signs indicating that the skeleton belongs to the "Sun King's" right-hand man.

"He was buried on consecrated ground beneath where the altar was; we found a bullet that ended his life, and in the grave was a 1660 coin – it belonged to the bishop who served Mass for the 'Sun King'."

The archaeologist involved in the excavation is more cautious.

"I am a scientist, but my expectations are high," Wim Dijkman told regional broadcaster Omroep Limburg, adding that he would like to wait for DNA confirmation of the skeleton's identity.

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The skeleton was found directly beneath the spot where the church altar used to be

Samples have already been taken from the remains and are now being analyzed in Germany, while some bones have been sent to the Dutch city of Deventer to determine the skeleton's age, origin, and whether it belongs to a man or a woman.

"I have been researching D'Artagnan's grave for 28 years. This could be the pinnacle of my career," Dijkman said.

D'Artagnan is believed to have been fatally wounded in the throat by a musket ball during Louis XIV's attempt to capture Maastricht. The French army decided that, since it was mid-summer, he would be buried on the spot, and their camp was located near the church in the Wolder district — in what is now the southwestern outskirts of Maastricht.

Although D'Artagnan was based on a real historical figure, the three musketeers were fictional characters, likely inspired by three members of an elite corps that guarded the king and participated in military actions.

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