Anne Pringle was born 13 Jan 1955, daughter of George Grant Pringle and Margaret Fyfe Pringle (née Cameron). She was educated at Glasgow High School for Girls and the University of St Andrews (studying French and German), and in 1987 married Bleddyn Glynne Leyshon Phillips.

Pringle joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1977 and her diplomatic career included the following posts: 3rd Secretary, Moscow [Soviet Union], 1980-83; Vice Consul, San Francisco [United States], 1983-85; 2nd Secretary, UK Rep., Brussels [Belgium], 1986-87; FCO, 1988-91; 1st Secretary, European Political Co-operation Secretariat, Brussels, 1991-93; Deputy Head, Security Co-ordination Department, then African Department (Equatorial), FCO, 1994-96; Head, Common Foreign and Security Policy Department, FCO, and European Correspondent, 1996-98; Head, Eastern Department, FCO, 1998-2001; Ambassador to the Czech Republic, 2001-04; Director, Strategy and Information, FCO, 2004-07; Ambassador to Russia, 2008-11.