Marie and Louis were the king and queen of France in the late 18th century. Their marriage was arranged for political reasons, as most royal marriages were at the time. However, it was unique in that the couple never consummated the marriage – meaning they never had sexual relations or children together. This was highly unusual for the time period.
There are several factors that contributed to Marie and Louis’ unconsummated marriage:
They married very young
Marie Antoinette was only 14 years old when she married the future King Louis XVI in 1770. Louis was 15 years old. They were both too young and immature to fully understand the duties and intimacies of marriage. Marie in particular was extremely sheltered and naive about sexual matters. This made consummating the marriage difficult.
They had conflicting personalities
Marie was lively, confident, and free-spirited. Louis was introverted, awkward, and insecure. He preferred solitary hobbies like locksmithing and did not like social gatherings. Their opposite personalities meant they had trouble connecting romantically or intimately.
Louis suffered from physical conditions
Louis had a mild case of phimosis, a tightness of the foreskin that made sexual activity difficult and painful. He also likely had issues with erectile dysfunction, perhaps driven by performance anxiety. His physical troubles added barriers to consummating the marriage.
There was intense pressure to consummate
Producing an heir was seen as their royal duty. But this extreme pressure, particularly on Louis, made performance anxiety worse and consummation even more difficult.
They lacked privacy
As members of the royal family, Marie and Louis were never left alone together. They always had servants, guards, or courtiers around them, even in their bedchamber. This lack of privacy made intimacy extremely challenging.
Timeline of Marie and Louis’ Marriage
Here is a timeline overview of key events in Marie and Louis’ marriage, to provide historical context:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1770 | 14-year-old Marie Antoinette marries 15-year-old Louis Auguste in proxy ceremony in Austria |
| May 1770 | Marie and Louis have official wedding ceremony upon her arrival in France |
| 1772 | Concern grows that the marriage remains unconsummated after 2 years |
| 1773 | Marie’s brother Joseph writes letter urging her to consummate the marriage |
| 1774 | Rumors spread that Louis suffers from phimosis |
| 1776 | Marie begins affair with Swedish diplomat Axel von Fersen |
| 1778 | Louis has surgery to correct phimosis |
| 1781 | Marie gives birth to first child, ending doubts about consummation |
This timeline shows that consummation did not occur until over 11 years into the marriage, an unusually long delay that caused much scandal and gossip at the French court.
Social and Political Forces Against Consummation
Broader forces in French society and politics also likely contributed to the delayed consummation of Marie and Louis’ marriage.
Marie’s Austrian heritage
Marie was seen as an outsider in the French court because of her Austrian birth and upbringing. Many did not consider her “truly French.” This made her position as queen initially tenuous, adding to pressures on consummation.
Anti-Austrian sentiment
Many in France harbored anti-Austrian sentiment and saw Marie as a symbol of unwelcome Austrian influence. Consummating the marriage would further cement this influence, which Louis was hesitant to do.
Questioning of divine right
Traditionally, royalty was seen as ruling by divine right. But new Enlightenment thinking challenged this, and the king’s virility and ability to produce an heir was tied to notions of his divine right. Louis’ challenges consummating the marriage undermined this right.
Rise of the public sphere
Newspapers, pamphlets, clubs and cafés allowed public scrutiny of the monarchy like never before. This public speculation and judgment about when the marriage would be consummated added pressure.
Marie’s reputation
Rumors of Marie’s alleged promiscuity swirled in anti-monarchy circles, ironically making it harder for shy Louis to sexually perform with her.
Consequences of Non-Consummation
The unconsummated marriage had a number of ill effects:
Damage to reputation
Both Marie and Louis were seen as deficient – her for failing to seduce her husband, and him for his impotence. This damaged their reputations and undermined their prestige at court.
Questions of illegitimacy
When Marie finally gave birth in 1781, many saw the child as illegitimate and possibly the result of an affair, due to the long delay in consummation. This would have jeopardized the line of succession.
Lower perceived virility of the king
Louis’ apparent sexual dysfunction lessened views of his virility and fitness to rule. His manhood was seen as diminished, an immense problem for a monarch at that time.
May have worsened royal crisis
The non-consummation contributed to public disapproval of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in the lead-up to the French Revolution by further discrediting them. This worsened the royal regime’s crisis of public confidence.
Consummation and Affair with Fersen
Despite finally consummating the marriage and having children with Louis, Marie also had a longtime affair with a Swedish nobleman named Axel von Fersen, compounding the rumors and scandal surrounding her.
Timeline of the affair
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1771 | Fersen meets Marie for first time |
| 1774 | Fersen appointed to Royal Swedish Guard, sees Marie frequently |
| 1776 | Affair widely believed to begin |
| 1791 | Fersen helps Marie and Louis attempt to flee during French Revolution |
| 1792 | Letters between Fersen and Marie reveal intimacy; Marie executed |
| 1810 | Fersen killed by Stockholm mob, rumors he was Marie’s lover |
This timeline shows their long relationship, possible affair beginning when the marriage was still unconsummated, and the co-mingling of consummation and affair after 1781.
Rumored children with Fersen
Some accounts suggest Marie bore two children fathered by Fersen before the birth of her eldest son with Louis. This includes claims that:
- A daughter was born in 1778 and given to Fersen’s sister Sophie.
- A son was born in 1779 but died soon after.
These rumored pregnancies with Fersen prior to consummation with Louis were seen as highly scandalous. But most historians find these accounts unsubstantiated.
Effect of affair on marriage
Marie’s affair highlighted ongoing intimacy issues between her and Louis after consummation. The affair also showed Louis was still not fully able to meet Marie’s emotional and sexual needs. This further strained their relationship.
Consummation in 1781
After over a decade of marriage, Marie and Louis finally consummated the marriage in mid-1781, resulting in their first child.
Louis’ surgery to treat phimosis
In 1778, Louis underwent corrective surgery for his phimosis. This finally allowed him to consummate the marriage. The phimosis had prevented intercourse before.
Increasing pressure
By 1781 Marie was 27 years old, nearing the end of her childbearing years. Producing an heir became urgent. This added to pressures on Louis.
Brother Joseph’s encouragement
Marie’s brother Joseph continued urging her to do her marital duty and push Louis to consummate for the sake of having children. This further motivated Marie’s efforts.
Gaining maturity and confidence
Marie gained poise and confidence as she aged, while Louis become more mature and assured. This erosion of the awkwardness of their youth helped facilitate consummation.
More comfortable living situation
Moving out of the large palace at Versailles into smaller living quarters at the Petit Trianon increased their privacy and intimacy.
Table: Key details
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Louis’ surgery | Allowed sexual relations by fixing phimosis |
| Urgency for heir | Marie nearing end of childbearing years increased pressure |
| Encouragement | Marie’s brother urged her to consummate the marriage |
| Maturity | The couple became less awkward and more confident |
| Increased privacy | Move to Petit Trianon facilitated intimacy |
This table summarizes key factors that helped lead to consummation after so many years.
First pregnancy and birth
Marie became pregnant in mid-1781, soon after first consummating the marriage. She gave birth to her first child, daughter Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, in December 1781. This ended doubts about the consummation.
Impact on French Revolution
The marriage’s non-consummation contributed to the monarchy’s issues, and the eventual consummation did not fully resolve the damage done.
Scandals undermined prestige
Stories of Louis’ supposed impotence and mockery of Marie’s rumored promiscuity fueled anti-royal sentiment. The monarchy became objects of ridicule rather than symbols of divine prestige.
Perceived weakness and deficiency
Louis was seen as less virile and Marie as less virtuous. This meant both were perceived as weaker, deficient rulers, especially Louis as the king.
Questioning of inherited power
Louis’ inability to easily produce an heir fed notions that the monarchy’s power was not divinely assured. It could be questioned and even overthrown, as eventually happened.
Brewing scandals exploded
Other royal scandals like the Diamond Necklace Affair found a more receptive public due to anger over the non-consummation. This worsened Marie’s discredited reputation.
Lingering damage to legitimacy
Finally having heirs did not fully undo damage to Louis and Marie’s legitimacy caused by years of perceived immorality, deficiency, and incompetence.
Conclusion
Marie and Louis’ unconsummated marriage resulted from their youth, contrasting personalities, Louis’ physical issues, extreme pressure, and lack of privacy. This caused lasting damage to their reputations and undermined the French monarchy’s legitimacy. While consummation finally occurred in 1781 and produced heirs, the years of damaging scandal left the monarchy vulnerable to the brewing French Revolution. The royal couple’s bungled marriage and intimacy issues inadvertently helped lay the groundwork for the overthrow of their own regime. Despite finally performing their dynastic function by having children, years of not doing so while rumors swirled proved fatal for the reputation and perceived validity of their inherited and divine right to rule.