Countess Of Mercia Godiva ^2,3

  General Notes:

[Europe_New.FTW] [royalfam.ged] One of the most famous women of history. Lady Godiva, who rode naked through the streets of Coventry, as a protest against taxation. http:www.rootsweb.com~nwagodiva.html http:www.abacom.com~jkrausegodiva.html Elizabeth II Alexandra Mary Windsor Queen of England is the 31st great granddaughter of La dy GODIVA Countess Of Mercia. Lady GODIVA Countess Of Mercia is the 26th great grandmother of Thomas JEFFERSON. So-called President George W. BUSH is the 33rd great grandson of Lady GODIVA Countess Of Mer cia. Nikolas II Romanov Czar of Russia was the 30th great grandson of Lady GODIVA Countess Of Me rcia. Louis XVI, King Of France was the 27th great grandson of Lady GODIVA Countess Of Mercia. Diana Spencer was the 32nd great granddaughter of Lady GODIVA Countess Of Mercia. Juan Carlos DE Borbon King of Spain is the 32nd great grandson of Lady GODIVA Countess Of Me rcia. Simeon KOBURGOTSKI King and Prime Minister of Bulgaria is the 33rd great grandson of Lady GO DIVA Countess Of Mercia. She was a religious benefactress who---according to tradition when her husband Leofric, Ear l of Mercia, imposed a heavy tax on the townsfolk of Coventry 1040---obtained its remissio n by riding naked through the market place. The story occurs in Roger of Wendover 1235. Som e writers assert that Lady Godiva ordered all to remain indoors, which they did except for th e famous Peeping Tom, but he is a later addition to the story. An explanation of the Lady Godiva story could well be the survival of a Celtic pagan celebrat ion in honour of the goddess-spirit, Epona. To celebrate the passage of the Moon accross th e night sky and, at the same time, the change from winter to spring, a tradition of a naked l ady with long hair riding on a white horse had survived. Quite possibly Leofric, Earl of Merc ia, had dared his wife, Godiva, to take the local girl's place in the procession.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Record Change, 16 Dec 2002. ^2,3

Godiva married Earl Of Mercia III Leofric, son of Earl Of Mercia Leofwine and Countess Of Mercia Alwara, in 1030 ².^,3 (Earl Of Mercia III Leofric was born on 14 May 968 in Mercia, England ^2,3 and died on 31 Aug 1057 in Bromley, Stafford, England ^2,3.)