Dame Anne Pringle elected Chancellor of the University of St Andrews

Dame Anne Pringle has been elected Chancellor of the University of St Andrews on 24 February 2026.

She secured a majority of votes in an election also contested by Dame Barbara Woodward, Lord Mark Sedwill, and Lady Alex Walmsley.

Pringle is the first woman to hold the office in the university’s more than 600-year history. She succeeds Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, who died last year.

Born in Glasgow, Pringle studied at St Andrews and graduated with an MA (Hons) in French and German in 1977. She later became the first woman to serve as the United Kingdom’s Ambassador to Russia from 2008 to 2011, and earlier served as Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2001 to 2004.

Following her diplomatic career, she held leadership and governance roles across business, culture and academia. From 2016 to 2020, she served as Senior Governor of the University Court at St Andrews.