Emily Davison was a suffragette who died after stepping onto the racetrack at the 1913 Epsom Derby and was struck by the King's horse. She had considered a less dangerous protest at the Derby by waving the suffragette flag but her final actions and lack of a farewell message suggest her purpose may have been more serious and she intended to sacrifice herself for the cause of women's suffrage. Her friend believed she would not have died without writing to her mother, indicating it was a deliberate act. She deeply cared about freedom and equality for women.