George Harry Grey was born on 1 October 1737, the eldest son of Harry, 4th Earl of Stamford and his wife Lady Mary Booth, daughter of George, last Earl of Warrington and 3rd Baron De la Mere. On the death of his father in 1768 he succeeded as 5th Earl of Stamford. On 28 May 1763 he married Lady Henrietta Cavendish Bentinck, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Portland. They had several children, the eldest of whom, George Harry, succeeded as 6th Earl on the death of his father on 28 May 1819. He was Member of Parliament for Staffordshire in 1761.

This painting is after the portrait as Dunham Massey.