1913 Epsom Derby in front of King George V's horse, Anmer. The horse struck Davison as she tried to grab the horse's reins, the injuries she received proved fatal as she died 4 days later. Davison was a militant suffragette and a member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), she campaigned throughout her life for votes for women in the United Kingdom. The race was attended by an estimated 500,000 people, including the King and Queen. Aboyeur, ridden by Edwin Piper, took an early lead which he maintained into the straight, where he ran about three horse-widths away from the inside
Emily Davison contained a heavy socialist presence in appreciation of her support for the cause. In 1968 a one-act play written by Joice Worters, "Emily", was staged in Northumberland, focusing on the use of violence against the women's campaign. Davison is the subject of an opera, "Emily" (2013), by the British composer Tim Benjamin, and of "Emily Davison", a song by the American rock singer Greg Kihn. Davison also appears as a supporting character in the 2015 film "Suffragette", in which she is portrayed by Natalie Press. Her death and funeral form the climax of the film. In January 2018 the cantata