Editing Louis XVIII (section)

==Marriage==
[[File:Duplessis - Marie Joséphine of Savoy in a turquoise dress.jpg|thumb|[[Marie Joséphine of Savoy]]]]

On 16 April 1771, Louis Stanislas was [[Proxy marriage|married by proxy]] to [[Marie Joséphine of Savoy|Princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy]]. The in-person ceremony was conducted on 14 May at the [[Palace of Versailles]]. Marie Joséphine (as she was known in France) was a daughter of [[Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia|Victor Amadeus]], [[Duke of Savoy]] (later King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia), and his wife [[Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

A luxurious ball followed the wedding on 20 May.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=3}} Louis Stanislas found his wife repulsive; she was considered ugly, tedious, and ignorant of the customs of the court of Versailles. The marriage remained unconsummated for years. Biographers disagree about the reason. The most common theories propose Louis Stanislas' alleged impotence (according to biographer [[Antonia Fraser]]) or his unwillingness to sleep with his wife due to her poor personal hygiene. She never brushed her teeth, plucked her eyebrows, or used any perfumes.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|pages=13-14}} At the time of his marriage, Louis Stanislas was obese and waddled instead of walked. He never exercised and continued to eat enormous amounts of food.{{sfn|Fraser|2002|p=114}}

Despite the fact that Louis Stanislas was not infatuated with his wife, he boasted that the two enjoyed vigorous conjugal relations&nbsp;– but such declarations were held in low esteem by courtiers at Versailles. He also proclaimed his wife to be pregnant merely to spite Louis Auguste and his wife [[Marie Antoinette]], who had not yet consummated their marriage.{{sfn|Fraser|2002|p=115}} The Dauphin and Louis Stanislas did not enjoy a harmonious relationship and often quarrelled,{{sfn|Fraser|2002|p=120}} as did their wives.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=111}} Louis Stanislas did impregnate his wife in 1774, having conquered his aversion. However, the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|pages=14-15}} A second pregnancy in 1781 also miscarried, and the marriage remained childless.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|page=10}}{{sfn|Mansel|1999|pages=13-14}}