Born into a middle-upper class British family in colonial India, Lewes benefited from a privileged upbringing. His access to resources and opportunities was significantly greater than that of most of the world's population at the time.

Attending prestigious boarding schools and Oxford University was largely determined by his social class. These elite institutions provided him with an exceptional education, valuable social networks, and a path to positions of influence.

His social class and education likely facilitated his path to becoming an officer in the Welsh Guards. Officer ranks in the British Army were traditionally dominated by individuals from privileged backgrounds.

While not solely determined by social class, qualities such as confidence, leadership skills, and independent thinking, often cultivated in elite educational settings, would have been advantageous in SAS recruitment.