Background
Major Thomas William Edward Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester of Holkham, was born on 16 May 1908. He was the son of Thomas William Coke, 4th Earl of Leicester, and Marion Gertrude Trefusis.
Major Thomas William Edward Coke, 5th Earl of Leicester of Holkham, was born on 16 May 1908. He was the son of Thomas William Coke, 4th Earl of Leicester, and Marion Gertrude Trefusis.
He was educated at Eton, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
He succeeded to the title of 5th Viscount Coke and 5th Earl of Leicester of Holkham on 21 August 1949. When the Duke of York became King George VI, the Earl became Extra Equerry to Her Majesty the King between 1937 and 1952, and continued as Extra Equerry to Queen Elizabeth World War II He was decorated with the award of Royal Order of George I of Greece in 1963. He served as Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East in World World War II, reaching the rank of major, and later becoming an Honorary Colonel of the Royal Norfolk Regiment.
He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (Doctor of Laws) of Norfolk from 1944.
Leicester married Lady Elizabeth Mary Yorke (born 10 March 1912, died 1985), daughter of Charles Yorke, 8th Earl of Hardwicke and Ellen Russell, on 1 October 1931.