Anthony Goodenough was born 5 July 1941, son of Rear-Admiral Michael Grant Goodenough, CBE, DSO, and Nancy, daughter of Sir Ransford Slater, GCMG, CBE. He was educated at Wellington College and New College, University of Oxford (MA 1980); in 1967 he married Veronica Mary, daughter of Colonel Peter Pender-Cudlip, LVO, having two sons and one daughter.

After a spell with Voluntary Service Overseas in Sarawak [Borneo], 1963-64, Goodenough joined the Foreign Office in 1964 and his diplomatic career included the following: S E Asia Department, 1964-65; Permanent Under-Secretary’s Department, 1965-67; 2nd Secretary, Athens [Greece], 1967; Private Secretary to Parliamentary Under Secretary and Minister of State, FCO, 1971-73; First Secretary (Economic), Paris [France], 1974-77; FCO, 1977-80; Counsellor on secondment to Cabinet Office, 1980-82; Head of Chancery, Islamabad [Pakistan], 1982-86; Head of Personnel Policy Department, FCO, 1986-89; High Commissioner to Ghana and Ambassador (non-resident) to Togo, 1989-92; Assistant Under-Secretary of State (Africa and Commonwealth), FCO, 1992-95; High Commissioner to Canada, 1996-2000.