Visit of Joseph II to Versailles

"Hi Louis! How are you doing? How's life in Versailles? And hum... How do you like my sister?!" So I made up this dialogue opener, but I might not be too far from the truth!

Seven years after the marriage of Marie-Antoinette to Louis, Joseph II travelled from Austria to the Palace of Versailles to meet his brother in law, he arrived on 19 April 1777, beginning a six weeks stay.

In Vienna, everyone at the court of the Habsburgs including Empress mother Maria Theresa had been worried about Louis and Marie not producing any children for seven years. On top of that, the improper behaviour of young Marie-Antoinette crossing boundaries of what was expected from her tarnished her reputation.

We will never know exactly what was said between Joseph and Louis XVI, but royal to royal of equal rank, the two men had a discussion that led to the expected result. It is likely Louis had surgery correcting a malformation that caused him pain and prevented him to ”honour" his wife. Months after, she was pregnant and the couple will produce a total of four children... Whether they are all Louis' is a matter that historians speculate upon... Hush hush...