Wexy
Wexy, also called Vexy or Wexi (ca. 1801 - 1839[1]/1840[2]) was a horse owned by William II of the Netherlands when he was the Prince of Orange. The Irish half-breed animal played a role in the battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815, where it was wounded in the left hind leg.[3] Wexy died in 1839 with reports of living up to 38 years and 7 months old. It was mounted during an exhibition in Antwerp by Jacques Kets .[4]
Around 1844, it appeared in the paintings of the Gothic Hall at Kneuterdijk Palace.[2] From around 1900, it has been in the harness room of the Dutch Royal Stables. Wexy is a rare example of a stuffed horse preserved for so long.[1]
Kets probably removed a stomach stone from the Wexy's carcass during preparation, which ended up at the municipal pharmacy in The Hague. When the pharmacy was demolished in the 1920s, a passer-by found the stone on the street, and then to the United States under Johnny Fox (1953–2017). In 2018, the stone was acquired by the Royal Collections of the Netherlands.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Wexy: de lotgevallen van een koninklijk strijdpaard". Historiek.net (in Dutch). 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ a b "Paard in Paleis Noordeinde". koninklijkeverzamelingen.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ "Paard Wexy verenigd met kunst van Willem II". Vorsten.nl (in Dutch). 2014-02-20. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ a b Verzamelingen, Koninklijke. "bijzondere aankoop: Bezoar van Wexy — Koninklijkeverzamelingen". koninklijkeverzamelingen.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-10-06.