[Could phimosis have been the cause of sexual difficulties and delayed fertility of Louis XVI (1754-1793)?]. / Le phimosis de Louis XVI (1754-1793) aurait-il été à l'origine de ses difficultés sexuelles et de sa fécondité retardée?

The great majority of historians agree that the marriage of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette was only consumated seven years after the official ceremony. This delay could have been due to a genital malformation (phimosis) of Louis XVI, a strict religious education, a traumatic childhood and the young age of the two spouses, factors that may have inhibited their sexuality. In this article, the authors try to determine whether Louis XVI was able to overcome his sexual difficulties following an operation (circumcision) or as a result of spontaneous cure.