The 2026 University of St Andrews election for the position of Chancellor became necessary upon the death of the incumbent chancellor, Walter Menzies Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem. On 24 February, Dame Anne Pringle was announced as the winner of the election. She was installed to the position in July 2026.
From the creation of the position in the 1410s until 2026, every Chancellor of St Andrews had been either a peer or an archbishop, with the notable exception of Sir Kenneth Dover. Other previous holders of the post include royals James, Duke of Ross; Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge; Prince William, Duke of Cumberland; and former prime minister Stanley Baldwin. The term of the appointment following the 2026 election will be for ten years, subject to approval by the Privy Council; previous office holders held life tenure.
Electorate and voting The electorate was made up of members of the General Council which includes: graduates of the university, members and former members of the University Court, professors and former professors, and other senior academic staff.
Following the uncontested election of Menzies Campbell in 2006, this was the first election conducted through electronic voting, using the alternative vote system. Nominations for the position opened on 1 December 2025 and closed on 9 January 2026, with confirmed candidates announced on 26 January. Voting took place in the third week of Candlemas semester between 16 and 22 February 2026.
Candidates Candidates were not required to have studied or hold a degree from St Andrews in order to stand for the chancellorship; the most recent Chancellor to have studied at the university was George Gledstanes, appointed in 1604. Candidates were eligible to stand if they received nominations from at least 25 members of the General Council, were not employed by the university or a matriculated student, and if their candidacy did not bring the university into disrepute. Four candidates were confirmed to have met the criteria and were announced on 26 January 2026, all of whom are alumni.
Candidates are listed below in alphabetical order:
Name Current and former rolesNotesCampaignDame Anne Pringle Former British Ambassador to Russia and British Ambassador to the Czech RepublicFormer Senior Lay Member (Senior Governor) of the University Court Mark Sedwill, Baron Sedwill Former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor of the United Kingdom Current Non-Executive Member of the University CourtSedwill for St Andrews Website Lady Walmsley Defence, security and nuclear consultantAlex 4 ChancellorWebsite Dame Barbara Woodward Deputy National Security Advisor; Former Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and British Ambassador to ChinaBarbara Woodward for Chancellor Website The St Andrews student newspaper, The Saint, reported that the election could result in the university's first female Chancellor since the 1410s.
On 12 February, the Free Speech Union and Alumni for Free Speech jointly endorsed both Lord Sedwill and Lady Walmsley as strong free speech candidates based on a questionnaire submitted by the organisations. Both Pringle and Woodward did not respond to the questions. On 13 February, the working day before voting formally began, The Times named Lord Sedwill as the frontrunner for the position.
Results 7,072 members of the General Council registered to vote in the election and a total of 5,210 votes were cast, for a turnout of 73.6%. Results were announced on 24 February 2026 and were as follows:
CandidateFirst stageSecond stageFinal stageVotes% Votes±%Votes±% Anne Pringle 1,601 30.7% 1,812 211 35.6% 2,643 831 54.4% The Lord Sedwill 1,619 31.1% 1,807 188 35.5% 2,215 408 45.6% Barbara Woodward 1,251 24.0% 1,475 224 29.0%colspan="3" Alexandra Walmsley 739 14.2%colspan="6" Votes cast 5,210 100% 5,094 116 4,858 236
See also Chancellor of the University of St Andrews 2024 University of Oxford Chancellor election 2025 University of Cambridge Chancellor election
References
Notes