Was Louis XIV a faithful husband?

Answer 1

No.

He was married to Maria Theresa of Spain Louis was faithful to his wife for the first year of their marriage, even going so far as to command the Grand Maréchal du Logis that "the Queen and himself were never to be set apart, no matter how small the house in which they might be lodging"[12]. He enjoyed the legitimate passion that his wife felt for him. However, the couple would later have difficulty in matching their personalities. Louis later found Marie-Thérèse to be somewhat dull. She was uninterested in the arts, formed a little Spanish-speaking world of her own, with her pet dogs and equally pet dwarves, the traditional companions of royal women in Spain as seen in many Diego Velázquez's paintings. Her one enthusiasm, for gambling, although a frequent pastime at all courts could hardly be called inspiring.

While all Paris glorified the good looks of the King, Marie-Thérèse continued to put on weight with her delight in hot chocolate and to withdraw into her circle of dwarfs. It seemed Marie-Thérèse was always the last to know that her husband had found a new mistress. Despite this neglect, it is said that the King would perform his conjugal duties every night. Nonetheless, Louis' taking Louise de La Vallière as his first official mistress, caused the Queen much emotional pain. In later years, Louise would make a public apology for her wrongs against the Queen. Marie-Thérèse in her kindly fashion raised her from the floor, kissed her on the forehead and said that she had been forgiven long ago. After her, Madame de Montespan became Louis XIV's mistress and he then took on an unofficial second wife: Madame de Maintenon. Maria Theresa tolerated this, Marie-Thérèse was also too pious and too adoring of her husband to openly resent the position in which she was placed by his avowed infidelities. Moreover, in spite of his blatant unfaithfulness, he ensured that she was treated with the utmost respect befitting her position as Queen and his wife and did indeed reprimand Mme de Montespan when she crossed the line. Eventually, the Queen acted with dignity and did not create scenes at Court.