The majority of commentators hold the view that Davison did not intend to martyr herself, but rather wished to attach a ‘Votes For Women’ scarf to the horse as a way to gain publicity for the movement.

On the 4th June 1913, suffragette Emily Wilding Davison was hit by King George V’s racehorse at the Epsom Derby after she stepped onto the track.

On 6 February 1918 the Representation of the People Act received Royal Assent, marking the start of female suffrage in Great Britain.