He is the son of Lee Miller, a model, fine art photographer and noted war correspondent, and Sir Roland Penrose, the surrealist artist, poet and biographer of Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Man Ray, and Antoni Tàpies, who co-founded the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in 1947.

He first lived at 11 Downshire Hill in Hampstead north London, but in 1949 his parents bought Farley Farm House, a farmhouse in the village of Chiddingly, East Sussex.

Following the death of his mother, a cache of her work was discovered in the attic of the family home by Penrose's late wife Suzanna.

[3] The discovery of Miller's work is said to have given Penrose a new perspective on his mother, who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol dependence and depression after the war, when he was born and grew up.

The trust holds the annual Farleys Yard Arts Award for GCSE and A-level work from several local comprehensive schools.

[7] He presented a documentary titled Lee Miller ou La Traversée du Mirroir, directed by Sylvan Roumette for Arte C7, France.