When we talk about Edith Cavell, we often start with the part of her story that changed history – the nurse who treated soldiers from both sides; the woman who helped more than 200 Allied soldiers escape occupied Belgium, the humanitarian whose courage cost her life.

But behind the uniform, headlines and heroism, was someone wonderfully human: playful, principled, quietly mischievous, and deeply rooted in the simple joys of everyday life.

Thanks to a small notebook belonging to Marguerite François, one of the children Edith cared for while working as a governess in Brussels, we get a rare glimpse of Edith as she saw herself. In 1894, Marguerite asked visiting adults, including Edith, to answer some questions. Surprisingly, she answered them all using words beginning with the letter ‘R.’

It’s a small but significant detail that shows us the spark in Edith’s personality and shines an important light on the woman behind the uniform…

Edith’s full list of responses

Here is the full set of questions that were asked by Marguerite, alongside Edith’s responses:

1. What is your favourite flower? Roses
2. What is your preferred bird? Robin
3. Which animal do you prefer? Rat
4. What is your favourite colour? Red
5. Which man’s name do you prefer? Richard
6. Which woman’s name do you prefer? Rachael
7. What is the quality that you admire most in a man? Righteousness
8. What is the quality that you admire most in a woman? Reverence
9. What is the fault that you detest in a man? Rudeness
10. What is the fault that you detest in a woman? Ruthlessness
11. Which time of day do you prefer? Rising of the sun
12. What is the month in the year that you prefer? Returning home time
13. Which country would you like to live in? Romania
14. What is the journey that you would like to make? Russia to Rome
15. What is your dream happiness? Rambling in the country
16. What is your favourite saying? Right is might
17. What is the role of the woman in society? Reforming her children
18. What is your favourite subject of study? Roman history
19. What is your favourite book? Robert Elsmere
20. Your ambition? Receive internment in Westminster Abbey
21. What is your view of marriage? Repent at leisure if you marry in haste
22. What is your favourite pastime? Reading
23. What is your main fault? Revenge
24. What is your main quality? Respect for myself
25. Say what you think of me? Rather less than nothing

Delving deeper into Edith’s answers

Edith’s answers are playful and quietly subversive, offering a rare glimpse of Edith as she saw herself, not as a nurse, not as a heroine, but as a young woman with humour, conviction and a sharp and imaginative mind.

A childhood shaped by simplicity – and imagination

Edith Louisa Cavell grew up in Swardeston, Norfolk, where her father was the local Reverend. Her early life was gentle and grounded. Her summers were spent painting flowers, winters spent ice skating, and her home was shaped by faith and purpose. It was, by all accounts, an idyllic start.

That simplicity stayed with her. Her favourite flower, bird and colour – ‘roses’, ‘robins’ and ‘red’ – paint a picture of someone drawn to warmth, beauty and the great outdoors.

Playful, principled – and unmistakably Edith

Some of Edith’s answers were clearly chosen for amusement. Her favourite animal? ‘Rat.’ Her view of marriage, ‘Repent at leisure if you marry in haste’ reveals a dry sense of humour.

Her main quality, ‘Respect for myself,’ shows Edith’s self‑possession. Her main fault, ‘Revenge,’ reveals her honesty.

And her final answer, ‘Rather less than nothing’ is a flash of her sharp and playful wit; unmistakably Edith.

A young woman with curiosity – and conviction

Edith’s intellectual interests also shine through her answers. Her favourite subject was ‘Roman history’, and her favourite book, ‘Robert Elsmere’, a novel exploring faith, doubt and moral duty. Her favourite pastime? ‘Reading.’

Her ambition, ‘Receive internment in Westminster Abbey,’ reveals a young woman who hoped her life would matter, not through fame, but through service.

Meanwhile, her thoughts on the role of women in society, ‘Reforming her children,’ reflects both her era and belief in shaping future generations through care, guidance and example.

Why Edith’s character still matters

More than a century later, Edith’s legacy is woven into everything we do. Her unfaltering compassion, courage and commitment to caring for others are the values we strive to uphold when supporting nurses, midwives, nursing associates and maternity support workers across the UK.

Because Edith’s story isn’t just history.

It’s a reminder that extraordinary acts often begin with ordinary qualities, kindness, curiosity, humour, and a belief in doing what is right.

Edith Cavell will always be remembered as a heroine. But she was also a reader, a rambler, a lover of roses and robins, a woman who enjoyed a joke, and someone who carried her values into every part of her life.

That’s the Edith we honour today. Edith’s name is woven into our charity, but the story behind it is far more powerful than a historical footnote. It’s a reminder of how one person’s courage can ripple across generations. For further insight into the key moments that shaped Edith’s life, visit ‘Who was Edith Cavell?’