hiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti tˈuː, ðɪ ˈɛldɚ sˈʌn ʌv dˈʌdli ɹˈaɪdɚ, sˈɪksθ ˈɜːl ʌv hˈæɹoʊbi ænd hɪz wˈaɪf lˈeɪdi hɛlˈiːnə blˈɑːnʃ kˈɑːvɛntɹi, dˈɔːɾɚɹ ʌv dʒˈɔːɹdʒ wˈɪljəm kˈɑːvɛntɹi, vˈaɪkaʊnt dˈɪɹhɜːst, fˈɜːst sˈʌn ʌv dʒˈɔːɹdʒ kˈɑːvɛntɹi, nˈaɪnθ ˈɜːl ʌv kˈɑːvɛntɹi.
He was born in 1922, the elder son of Dudley Ryder, 6th Earl of Harrowby and his wife Lady Helena Blanche Coventry, daughter of George William Coventry, Viscount Deerhurst, first son of George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry.