Was Louis XVI autistic? Author claims France's last king had condition that meant he struggled to be intimate with Marie Antoinette and left him vulnerable to influential courtiers
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An author has claimed France's last king Louis XVI was born with autism-spectrum disorder, leaving him vulnerable to the self-interests of ministers, struggling to be intimate with his wife Marie Antoinette and ‘unable to look anyone in the eye’.
But American writer Nancy Goldstone told AirMail that the monarch's struggles started from birth, after he was born in 1754 with autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition no one understood at the time.
Making her claim, Nancy said: ‘So, although highly intelligent and in every other way a more compassionate, moral, honest, and better-intentioned ruler than his predecessor (Louis XV), the new King of France was unable to look anyone in the eye.
He could not read others’ expressions; spoke rarely and then in an odd, toneless voice; cried when under pressure; and, most importantly as it related to his young wife, did not understand the sex act until five years into their marriage, when Marie Antoinette’s older brother came for a visit and explained in a gentle, factual manner the mechanics of conception.'
The author also claims Marie Antoinette wasn’t as influential as citizens believed since Louis XVI’s ministers had ‘figured out early how to manage the king in order to get the policies they wanted passed’.
While he was introverted and shy, she was a social butterfly who loved gambling, partying and extravagant fashions.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman