How a naked protest became a feminist icon

A new Edith Cowan University (ECU) study has revealed how Lady Godiva’s legendary naked ride nearly 1,000 years ago continues to inspire protest, art and popular culture today.

Dr. Elizabeth Reid Boyd’s paper, “Like Lady Godiva: Lady Godiva’s Fandom from Fiction to Activism,” explores how the tale of the 11th-century noblewoman has been retold for centuries, from suffragist campaigns to climate protests, and even Beyoncé’s album art.

“Historians debate the truth, but Lady Godiva, an eleventh-century noblewoman, was real and so is her enduring influence,” Dr. Reid Boyd said.

The paper is published in the M/C Journal.

From folklore to protest

According to legend, Lady Godiva rode unclothed through the town of Coventry to persuade her husband to lift an oppressive tax. The people averted their gaze, except for “Peeping Tom,” who was struck blind. Moved by her courage, her husband repealed the tax.

“Lady Godiva’s legend is more than myth,” Dr. Reid Boyd said.

“It’s a mirror reflecting how women’s bodies and stories are contested, commodified and reclaimed across time.”

A reimagination with each generation

Dr. Reid Boyd said Lady Godiva has been continually reinvented—as saint, sinner, goddess and activist.

Her legacy has appeared in Victorian sculpture, Dalí’s paintings, suffragist theater, Queen’s 1975 hit “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and brands like Godiva Chocolatier. She has been celebrated in The Simpsons, DC Comics and even the London 2012 Olympics opening parade.

“Each generation reinvents her story—whether in art, protest or pop culture—and that’s why she remains such a powerful figure,” Dr. Reid Boyd said.

Why she still matters

From suffragists and Coventry’s “modern-day Godivas” to Extinction Rebellion’s naked climate protests, Dr. Reid Boyd said Lady Godiva’s spirit continues to ride on.

“While her ride has often been sexualized or commercialized, Lady Godiva also represents courage, rebellion and justice,” Dr. Reid Boyd said.

“Her legend isn’t frozen in the past; it rides forward with us. Each retelling becomes an act of protest or cultural renewal.”