unknown - between 1066 and 1086
House: Mercia
Titles: Countess of Mercia
Lady Godiva, also known in Old English as Godgifu, was a noblewoman of the late Anglo-Saxon period, documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. She is recognized for her patronage to various religious institutions, including churches and monasteries. The legend of her riding naked through Coventry is associated with her, although it is not considered historically plausible.
Godiva was mentioned in charters and the Domesday survey, where she is one of the few Anglo-Saxons, and the only woman, to remain a major landholder post-Norman Conquest. Her philanthropic work alongside her husband Leofric included endowments to monasteries and donations of precious metals and jewels to religious figures and institutions. Her legacy, both charitable and legendary, has endured through the centuries.
Death: Lady Godiva passed away between 1066 and 1086, with the exact circumstances of her death unknown. She is believed to have been buried with her husband at Coventry.
Children: 9, including Ælfgar.
Marriages: Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Parents: Unknown