Lady Godiva, also known as Godgifu or Godgyfu in Old English, was an 11th-century noblewoman who lived in England. She was the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, one of the most powerful nobleman in England at the time.

The most famous legend associated with Lady Godiva is that she rode naked through the streets of Coventry, a city in central England, to protest against the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on the townspeople.

According to the legend, Lady Godiva appealed to her husband to lower the taxes, but he refused. In response, he challenged her to ride through the town naked, promising to lower the taxes if she did so. Lady Godiva accepted the challenge, and, covered only by her long hair, she rode through the streets of Coventry on horseback, while the townspeople stayed indoors and averted their gaze out of respect for her modesty.

In some versions of the legend, a man named Tom, later known as "Peeping Tom," disobeyed Lady Godiva's request for the townspeople to stay indoors and peeked out of his window to watch her ride. As a result, he was struck blind or dead, depending on the version of the story.

The story of Lady Godiva's ride has been retold and embellished over the centuries, becoming a popular legend in English folklore. It has inspired numerous works of art, literature, and cultural references.

While the historicity of the Lady Godiva legend is debated by historians, she remains an enduring symbol of courage, compassion, and resistance against injustice in popular culture.