Browne was born in Hampshire, raised on a family farm near Bath, and educated at Malvern College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Cranfield Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School. He served as an officer in the Grenadier Guards from 1959 to 1967 and as the first Guards territorial, in the Grenadier Guards (V), retiring as a Major.
Browne's early life was spent on a family farm near Bath, England, where he received his education at Malvern College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Cranfield Institute of Technology, and Harvard Business School. He served in the Grenadier Guards from 1959 to 1967, rising to the rank of Major before retiring.