Lucy Harington was the daughter of John, 1st Lord Harington of Exton, and his wife Anne Kelway, daughter and heiress of Robert Kelway Surveyor of the Court of Wards and Liveries. Her father's cousin, Sir John Harington (1561-1612), who was a godson of Queen Elizabeth, was a writer of scurrilous books and pamplets lampooning figures at court, such as the Earl of Essex, and also a distinguished translator. Lucy too seems to have inherited a great love of poetry and literature; nicknamed 'the favourite of the muses', she was a friend of some of the most eminent literary men of the day, including Ben Jonson and Donne; who wrote sonnets and poems extolling her virtues and beauty. She was a renowned patroness of the arts and learning. On 12 December 1594 she married Edward, 3rd Earl of Bedford, the son of Sir Francis, later Lord Russell, and his wife Juliana, daughter and co-heir of Sir John Foster. Both Lucy and her husband died in May 1627. Her father and mother were guardians of the Princess Elizabeth for several years at Combe Abbey, Warwickshire.