Royal sex

While the lower classes worked and were supposed to give up their pleasures as a Christian nation, the French court, despite all the rules and religion, was having a blast. Although it was happening in front of everyone, the sexual life of the aristocrats was still shrouded in a veil of mystery. Mainly known for his sexual activities is Louis XIV or Sun King and his court. And since there is a series about him on TV, I decided to take a closer look at the sex life of kings and queens at the time. 

Louis XIV is still known today as the greatest womanizer, perhaps even more so than the literary Don Juan. But he wasn't the only one cheating. Although the lower structures were subject to severe penalties for breaking the law, violations of Christian morality, and the ideal of monogamy, the aristocrats followed the king's example. Both women and men were looking for new and fresh lovers; the only condition was to take care of the next generation within the marriage. A few aristocrats were punished for their adultery naturally, usually in the form of a sexually transmitted disease, most often syphilis. 

Already, the grandfather of the Sun King, Henry IV, was above the Christian law. He was considered, at least by court gossip, a greedy ruler. His bedroom was connected to the room of his regular mistress and confidant, but also to the room in which the night visitors changed daily. As we know, this sexual insatiability also settled in Louis XIV, a pious monarch named by God, while his father was not suck kind, at least at first sight. 

The rise of his sexual fame began very early, at the age of fifteen. His first sexual intercourse was with a much older prostitute. When he was more experienced, he switched to maids until he impregnated the gardener's daughter. The aristocracy was very satisfied and relieved, as they realized that the generation on this royal side would be well cared for. 

When the time came, the king chose among noblewomen more often. He was a regular guest of at least nine women, and among them, probably the most famous, was Madame de Montespan. In the meantime, the king was enjoying himself with another maid who was not worth writing about. There were no tremendous love stories among all of these and the king. It was more about satisfying the king's needs. When he finished his work, which was supposed to be relatively quick, he returned to where he came from. After Madame de Montespan, who was also a great royal confidant, her successor, Madame de Maintenon, wanted to end the royal staying in different bedrooms. 

At the same time, another death sin - homosexuality - crept into the court in the form of the king's brother, Philippe de France. Although he did his official duty and cared for fathering quite a few children, it was clear that his heart belonged to a man. Louis XIV opposed homosexual relationships, but he could not punish them, as he would have to kill his own brother as the first sinner. But Phillipe wasn't the only Bourbon who preferred to take refuge in men's bedrooms rather than women's. The same goes for one of the illegitimate sons of the Sun King, and some rumors have even surfaced about his father, you know, the one who never had a mistress in his life. 

Men, women, maids, gardeners, soldiers. Satisfying the sexual needs and changing the dirty sheets were something normal in court. Monarchs have had a tough life!