Emily Davison she had been force-fed. On 4 June 1913 Davison obtained two flags bearing the suffragette colours of purple, white and green from the WSPU offices; she then travelled by train to Epsom, Surrey, to attend the Derby. She positioned herself at Tattenham Corner, the final bend before the home straight. At this point in the race, with some of the horses having passed her, she ducked under the guard rail and ran onto the course; she may have held in her hands one of the suffragette flags. She reached up to the reins of Anmer—King George V's horse, ridden by
Emily Davison Davison and Jones until both were taken to the nearby Epsom Cottage Hospital. She was operated on two days later, but she never regained consciousness; while in hospital she received hate mail. She died on 8 June, from a fracture at the base of her skull. Found in Davison's effects were the two suffragette flags, the return stub of her railway ticket to London, her race card, a ticket to a suffragette dance later that day and a diary with appointments for the following week. The King and Queen Mary were present at the race and made enquiries about the