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Fact check: Louis XIV didn't know how to have sex.
1. Summary of the results
The original statement is demonstrably false based on multiple historical sources. Louis XIV was not only sexually knowledgeable but quite sexually active throughout his life. His first sexual experience was arranged by his mother at age 15 with Catherine Henriette Bellier, a lady-in-waiting [1]. Throughout his life, he maintained multiple romantic and sexual relationships, fathering approximately 22 children with different women [1].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original statement lacks crucial historical context:
- Sexual matters were often public and political in royal life during Louis XIV's era [2]
- His romantic relationships included both marriages and numerous documented affairs:
- Marriage to Marie-Thérèse of Austria in 1660 [3]
- Relationship with Marie Mancini [4]
- Affairs with Louise de La Vallière, who bore him four children [4]
- Relationship with Marquise de Montespan, resulting in six legitimate children [4]
- Romance with Françoise d'Aubigné [4]
Louis XIV even commissioned portraits of his illegitimate sons [5], suggesting he openly acknowledged his sexual relationships and resulting offspring.
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original statement appears to be completely unfounded, as multiple historical sources contradict it. Several factors might contribute to such misinformation:
- Lack of understanding of historical context regarding royal sexual politics [2]
- Possible confusion with other historical figures
- Deliberate attempt to diminish Louis XIV's reputation as a powerful monarch
The historical record clearly shows that Louis XIV was known as a "ladies' man" [5] with multiple documented relationships and numerous children, making the original statement particularly misleading. His sexual relationships were not only personal matters but were often intertwined with political and social aspects of royal life [2], making them well-documented in historical records.