Background
Leicester was the son of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, by his second wife Lady Anne Amelia Keppel. He succeeded in the earldom on his father"s death in 1842.
Leicester was the son of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, by his second wife Lady Anne Amelia Keppel. He succeeded in the earldom on his father"s death in 1842.
In 1873 he was made a Knight of the Garter. Lord Leicester married firstly, Juliana Whitbread (1825–1870), daughter of Samuel Charles Whitbread and Honorary Julia Trevor (d 1858), on 20 April 1843.
They had nine children:
Lady Julia Coke (1844–1931), married Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt, and had issue.
Lady Anne Coke (1845–1876), married Major-General Edmund Manningham-Buller, son of Sir Edward Manningham-Buller, 1st Baronet, and had issue.
Lady Gertrude Coke (1847–1943), married Charles Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore, and had issue. Thomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester (1848–1941)
Lady Mary Coke (1849–1929), married William Legge, 6th Earl of Dartmouth, and had issue.
Lady Winifred Coke (1851–1940), married Robert Clements, 4th Earl of Leitrim, and had issue.
Lady Margaret Coke (1852–1922), married Henry Strutt, 2nd Baron Belper, and had issue. Lady Mildred Coke (1854–1941), married Thomas Anson, 3rd Earl of Lichfield, and had issue. Lieutenant-Colonel Wenman Coke (1855–1931), died unmarried.
Lord Leicester married secondly, the honourable Georgina Cavendish, daughter of William Cavendish, 2nd Baron Chesham, on 26 August 1875.
They had six children:
Major Honorary Richard Coke (1876–1964), married Honorary
Doreen O"Brian, daughter of Edward O"Brien, 14th Baron of Inchiquin, and had issue. Lieutenant-Colonel Honorary
Edward Coke (1879–1944), died unmarried.
Honorary Sir John Spencer Coke (1880–1957), married Honorary Dorothy Lawson, daughter of Harry Lawson, 1st Viscount Burnham, and had issue.
Captain Honorary Reginald Coke (1883–1969), married Katherine Ryder, granddaughter of Henry Ryder, 4th Earl of Harrowby, and had issue.
Commander Honorary Lovel William Coke (1893–1966), died unmarried. Mabel Coke (c 1895–1967), married James Luddington.
Lord Leicester served as Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk from 1846 to 1906 and was a member of the Council of the Duchy of Cornwall and Keeper of the Privy Seal.