Leofric, the Earl of Mercia, was often referred to as the Earl of Chester as he spent so much time in that city. However, in his later years he did endow the building of a Benedictine monastery in the midland town of Coventry. This small town grew into a regional point of commerce. In Godiva and the Golden Dragon, Earl Leofric has married Godiva of Coventry and has relocated to the small town.

Leofric was a strong backer of the English royal line, despite Edward the Confessor's reliance on Godwin council and support. It was largely through the Earl of Mercia's efforts that the ransom was accumulated so that Bishop Aldred could afford the release of Aethelred's kin in exile in Hungary. It was the extra tax burden Leofric put on his subjects in Mercia that the Lady Godiva wanted removed.