Born in March 1955 to naval officer Commander Guy Stewart Laurence and his wife Barbara Alison Laurence, Sir Timothy was the youngest of the couple's two sons (per Town & Country). Following in his father's footsteps, a young Timothy took up an interest in the navy, eventually landing a naval scholarship to study geography at Durham University.

After graduation, Timothy joined the Royal Navy in 1973 and worked his way up. Four years later, in 1977, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Though the details remain unclear, Timothy reportedly met Princess Anne while serving as a navigating officer on Royal Yacht Britannia (a yacht belonging to the royal family) between 1980 to 1982, per Gloucestershire Live.

In the years that followed, Timothy rose in ranks, eventually getting promoted to Captain in 1995, according to Town & Country. He also served on many ships and commanded a few, including the HMS Cumberland and HMS Boxer. In the '90s, Timothy transitioned to working with the U.K. government, serving in many capacities for the Ministry of Defence — first as an assistant to the defense minister, and then as assistant chief of defense staff. On July 5, 2004, Laurence was promoted to rear admiral and assistant chief of the defense staff (via Gloucestershire Live) and in 2007 he earned the title of Vice Admiral (per Town & Country). In August 2010, he retired from the navy and now focuses primarily on charitable interests.