Background
Julius was born at Oberkassel, Kingdom of Prussia, (now in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany) fifth child and second son of Ernest I, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1777–1840), (son of Karl, Count of Lippe-Biesterfeld and Countess Ferdinande of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda) and his wife, Modeste von Unruh (1781–1854), (daughter of Karl Philipp von Unruh and Elisabeth Henriette Dorothea von Kameke).