Lady Godiva rides naked once again

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2006

LONDON (AFP) — Lady Godiva rode naked on a white horse through the streets of a city centre, according to legend, and the eye-popping sight was repeated -- three times -- by a striking young woman.

Phoebe Thomas stripped off and saddled up in the university city of Oxford under the close scrutiny of a film crew shooting a modern movie re-telling of the old tale, making her do it three times, just to be sure they got it right on Monday.

Legend has it that Lady Godiva rode a horse naked through the streets of Coventry nearly 1,000 years ago to persuade her husband, Leofric, the Earl of Mercia, to lower taxes.

Only the lady's long hair covered her modesty, but Thomas's locks provided scant protection against the nippy air at 4:30 am, as 100 extras looked on....