In 1857, Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, turned 38 years old. On his birthday on August 26, he received a valuable gift from the Queen - a figurine of Lady Godiva, which was made by the French sculptor Pierre-Emile Jeannest. The master studied the tastes of the English well, studied the legends and stories about chivalry. He perfectly managed to convey the image of the character of one of the medieval legends - the Anglo-Saxon Countess Godiva, the wife of the powerful magnate Leofric.
Legend has it that Godiva asked her husband to reduce the exorbitant taxes paid by their subjects. In response, Leofric promised to fulfill the request on one condition: Godiva must ride a horse through the English city of Coventry naked. The count believed that his wife would not do such an act, but he was mistaken. Godiva appeared on the city streets completely naked, and the residents, who fell in love with the countess, at that time stayed at home so as not to see her in this form. Struck by such a selfless act, Leofric kept his promise and reduced taxes.
Of course, this is just a legend, there is not a single record that these events actually happened. However, the story stuck in the memory of the British, was retold from generation to generation, and in the 17th century, an annual parade in honor of the patroness began to be held in Coventry. This legend was repeatedly addressed by artists and poets, among them was Pierre-Emile Jeannest. The master created a sculpture of silver and gilding, fixed it on a pedestal, which he decorated with two scenes. In the first, the heroine stands in front of her husband asking for a tax cut. The second shows a fragment of the legend: among the townspeople there was a sly one, Peeping Tom, who decided to look at Lady Godiva.
