Let’s get straight to the point: Lady Godiva. Famous historical figure? Yes. Cockney rhyming slang? Also yes. But how did a noblewoman from the 11th century end up riding bareback into the hearts of East End slang merchants nearly a millennium later?

Strap in (or don’t, in her case), because things are about to get mildly historical and questionably logical.

Who Was Lady Godiva?

Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman best known for allegedly riding naked through the streets of Coventry to protest oppressive taxes imposed by her husband, Leofric, Earl of Mercia. She was, I assume, deeply committed to both tax reform and awkward silences around the dinner table.

History tells us the townsfolk were ordered to stay indoors and avert their eyes out of respect (and probably mild confusion). Only one man, famously known as “Peeping Tom,” (aah so that’s where that came from) disobeyed and got his comeuppance—proof, perhaps, that early British history was already laying the groundwork for future tabloid headlines.

So How Did She End Up in Cockney Rhyming Slang?

Somewhere along the way—let’s say, several hundred years and a few pints later—Cockney rhyming slang decided to do what it does best: confuse everyone outside a 3-mile radius of Bow Bells and most certainly any poor sod travelling from abroad.

And so, “Lady Godiva” began to mean… “fiver.” Yes, as in a £5 note.

Why? Because it rhymes,stupid. That’s literally the whole system of Cockney rhyming slang. You take a phrase that rhymes with the thing you mean, then don’t actually say the part that makes it make sense. So instead of saying “fiver,” you say “Lady” or “Lady Godiva,” and everyone else is just supposed to nod along like this is completely normal.

It’s the linguistic equivalent of starting a sentence, walking away halfway through, and expecting your mate to finish it telepathically.

When Did This Happen?

Like most things in Cockney rhyming slang, the exact origin date is not certain. Rhyming slang began in the 19th century, supposedly as a way for market traders and criminals to communicate without being understood by outsiders (or police). Because if you’re planning something dodgy, why not wrap it in a riddle?

“Lady Godiva” for a fiver likely emerged in the early-to-mid 20th century, just as banknotes became more common and people needed new, overly complex ways to say “a bit of money.”

So… Is She Okay?

We assume Lady G is still galloping her way through cultural references somewhere, blissfully unaware that she’s now shorthand for five quid in a language game that refuses to die.

In conclusion: Lady Godiva was a tax-protesting, horse-riding icon of medieval Britain. She didn’t ask to become Cockney slang, but in true British fashion, we dragged her into it anyway and left logic behind.

So next time someone says, “Lend us a Lady,” don’t panic—they’re probably just skint, not planning a historical reenactment. If they ask you for a Commodore (3 times a lady) it means £15.00.

I mean, why wouldn’t it?