27. The Lackluster Love Life of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
It seems that King Louis XVI knew of his wife’s love for Axel von Fersen, but did nothing to about it. For a French monarch, this Louis was not much of a womanizer – or any type of womanizer, at all. French kings had long been known for their insatiable lust, but not Louis XVI. He married Marie Antoinette in 1770 when he was fifteen and she was fourteen but showed little interest in her, and the marriage was not consummated until seven years later, in 1777. In a letter to his brother, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II wrote that Louis had confided to him what he did with his queen. He: “Introduces the member … stays there without moving for about two minutes“, then pulls out without having ejaculated and “bids goodnight“.
In addition to inexperience and shyness, Louis might have suffered from phimosis, a foreskin condition that causes pain when the penis is erect. Reportedly, it was only after he underwent surgery that he was finally able to consummate his marriage. Louis and his queen seldom spent much time together, and he often ate and drank so much that he became nearly senseless, and had to be carried to bed. With such a husband, it is no surprise that Marie Antoinette looked for love outside the marriage, and sought somebody who had a clue what to do in bed.
