University of St Andrews to Elect New Chancellor by Late February

Following the death of the former University Chancellor, The Right Honourable Lord Campbell of Pittenweem CH CBE PC KC FRSE, in September 2025, the University is now holding elections for the new Chancellor of the University of St Andrews. Nominations for Chancellor opened on 1 December, 2025 and closed on 9 January, 2026, along with voter registration. Voting will occur through 16-22 February, during which time 7,072 St Andrews registered alumni and staff will elect the next ceremonial head of the University.

Dame Anne Pringle, Lord Mark Sedwell, Lady Walmsley, and Dame Barbara Woodward are the four candidates on the ballot, all of whom graduated from and have ties to the University, and are senior figures in public life, holding achievements in their respective fields. 

With three female candidates in the running, the election could result in the first female Chancellor in the history of the University.

While the role of Chancellor is largely ceremonial, whoever is elected plays an ambassadorial role in promoting the University’s interests and reputation, and supporting important philanthropic fundraising. The Chancellor presides at graduation ceremonies and is President of the General Council, which meets twice a year in Parliament Hall. The closest definition of the role, according to the return of the University to the Commissioners in 1826, declares that “the Chancellor is head of the University,” to be consulted “on all public matters relative to its welfare.”

The first candidate, Dame Anne Pringle, is a British diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2001 to 2004 before becoming the first woman to serve as the British ambassador to Russia from 2008 to 2011. She has pursued a career in both the public and private sectors and served as the Senior Governor on the Court of the University of St Andrews from 2016 to 2020. In a statement for the University website, she declares that she hopes to be “a champion for St Andrews interests, a fundraiser, a connector and a defender of free speech.”

Lord Mark Sedwell is a British Diplomat and senior civil servant who served as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service from 2018 to 2020. He is also a former National Security Advisor, British Ambassador, and NATO representative to Afghanistan. In his statement on the University website, Lord Sedwell aligns himself with the former Chancellor in emphasising “integrity, intellect and inclusion,” while advocating for deepened partnerships and philanthropy in North America to support further research, scholarships, and investment. 

Candidate Lady Walmsley is the National Vice-Chair of the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA), the Armed Forces charity, while also chairing NATO’s annual Radiological/Nuclear Conference. Additionally, Walmsley was the first defence analyst at the Centre for European Reform. While a postgraduate at St Andrews, Walmsley worked as a researcher for the former Chancellor Lord Menzies ‘Ming’ Campbell. In the statement she provided for the election, Walmsley claims, “I am St Andrews to my core.” She has deep ties to St Andrews, having been married at the St Salvator’s Chapel, and believes the Chancellor should be a more active and accessible member of the community. 

The final candidate is Dame Barbara Woodward, a British diplomat and the UK Deputy National Security Advisor for International Affairs. She was the first female diplomat to the People’s Republic of China from 2015 to 2020, before becoming the UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 2020 and 2025. In a statement on the University website, Barbara says she is inspired by the St Andrews motto ‘Ever to Excel’ and aims to sustain the University’s “world-leading research and teaching, its reputation for financial stewardship and good governance,” and its “high performance in student satisfaction.”

One of these four candidates will be announced as the new Chancellor of the University of St Andrews on Monday, 23 February, 2026.

Photo Courtesy of The University of St Andrews