His father's half-brother was the libertine-poet the Earl of Rochester who took a great interest in his young relative and helped to bring about his betrothal to the daughter of the king.

In his youth, he was considered to be kind, charming, strong, intelligent as well as arrogant because of his position in the peerage and to his status as a royal son-in-law to the king.

Lee was created Earl of Lichfield in 1674 at the age of eleven, a result of his betrothal to the daughter of King Charles II.

He later played prominent part in the Williamite War in Ireland (1689–1691), going through a succession of new Colonels including Henry Wharton and Richard Brewer.

On their funeral monument the inscription reads;“at their marriage they were the most grateful bridegroom and the most beautiful bride and that till death they remained the most constant husband and wife.”