Born Anne Hyde Clarke in New York, her godmother was Juliette Gordon Low, later to be founder of the Girl Scouts in the United States. At Low's invitation she visited England, during which trip she met her future husband Arthur Choate, nephew of Joseph Choate, the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain.
Anne Hyde Clarke's early life began in New York, where her maternal relative Juliette Gordon Low would later become a prominent figure as the founder of the Girl Scouts in the United States. A trip to England, arranged by Low, led to a meeting with her future husband Arthur Choate, nephew of Joseph Choate, who held a significant diplomatic position.