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Anna Keay

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Anna Keay
OBE
BornAugust 1974 (age 51)
Scotland, United Kingdom[1]
EducationDoctor of Philosophy[2]
Alma materUniversity of Oxford[1][2]
University of London[2]
OccupationsHistorian, author, broadcaster
Years active1996–present
Employer(s)The Landmark Trust (Director, 2012–present)[2][3]
Spouse
​
(m. 2008)​
[1][4]
Children2[1][2][4]
Parent(s)John Keay[1]
Julia Atkins[1]
RelativesHumphrey Atkins (grandfather)[2]
Websitewww.annakeay.co.uk

Anna Julia Keay OBE (born August 1974)[5][6][2][1] is a British historian, author and broadcaster. Since 2012, she has served as director of The Landmark Trust.

Early life and education

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Keay grew up in a remote home in the West Highlands, the daughter of authors John Keay[1] and Julia (Atkins) Keay.[1] She is the granddaughter of Conservative politician and former chief whip Humphrey Atkins.[2]

She was educated at Oban High School in Argyll and the private Bedales School. She then read history at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford.[1][2]

She subsequently studied for a PhD degree at Queen Mary, University of London; her thesis, The Ceremonies of Charles II's Court, was completed in 2004.[7]

Career

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Keay worked for English Heritage from 2002 to 2012, after seven years as Assistant Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces,[8] responsible for Hampton Court, the Banqueting House, Whitehall, and the Tower of London.[2] As its Director of Properties Presentation, she was involved in the restoration of the Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle, which featured in a 2009 BBC television series about English Heritage.[9]

She has served as director of The Landmark Trust since 2012.[2][3][10]

She appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity in October 2014. Her hypothetical donation to this fictional museum was St Edward's Crown, part of the British Crown Jewels.[11]

She co-presented The Buildings That Shaped Britain on Channel 5.[8][12] She later appeared on The Coronation and The Queen's Palaces.[13]

Keay is Trustee of the Royal Collection Trust[14] and the Pilgrim Trust.[15]

In 2026 Keay was appointed by Charles III as the official biographer of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II.[16][17] She is the first woman to serve as an official biographer to a British monarch.[16]

Personal life

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Keay married fellow historian Simon Thurley in 2008. The couple have a daughter and a son, non-identical twins, born in 2008.[2][4] The family live in London and Norfolk.[8]

Awards and honours

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Selected publications

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  • The Earl of Essex: The Life and Death of a Tudor Traitor (2001, Historic Royal Palaces, ISBN 978-1873993156)
  • Elizabethan Tower of London (London Topographical Society, 2001, ISBN 978-0902087446)
  • The Magnificent Monarch: Charles II and the Ceremonies of Power (2008, Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1847252258)[20]
  • Monarchy and Exile: The Politics of Legitimacy from Marie de Médicis to Wilhelm II (edited by P. Mansel (Editor), T. Riotte) (contributed one chapter) (2011, Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978-0230249059)
  • The Crown Jewels: The Official Illustrated History (2012, Thames & Hudson, ISBN 978-0500289822)
  • The Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle (2013, English Heritage, ISBN 978-1848020344)
  • Landmark: A History of Britain in 50 Buildings with Caroline Stanford, (2015, France Lincoln, ISBN 978-0711236455)[21]
  • The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth (2017, Bloomsbury)
  • The Restless Republic: Britain without a crown (2022, William Collins, ISBN 978-0008282042)
  • Interregnum: The People’s Republic of Britain (2022, William Collins, ISBN 978-0008282028)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Biography". Anna Keay. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lister-Kaye, Hermione (13 June 2014). "Anna Keay on India, motherhood and the Duke of Monmouth". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b "The Landmark Trust > Staff > Dr Anna Keay, Director". The Landmark Trust. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Simon Thurley - about me". Simon Thurley. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Anna Julia KEAY - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Anna Julia Keay – Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  7. ^ Keay, Anna (2004). The ceremonies of Charles II's court (PhD). Queen Mary, University of London.
  8. ^ a b c "Anna Keay (Bloomsbury writer biography)".
  9. ^ Jardine, Cassandra (18 April 2009). "Heritage TV or a restoration comedy?". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  10. ^ Landmark Trust website, Directors, retrieved September 19, 2024
  11. ^ "Gallery 7: Room 4". QI.com. The Museum of Curiosity, Quite Interesting Limited. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  12. ^ IMDB website, Buildings that shaped Britain
  13. ^ IMDB, Anna Keay
  14. ^ Royal Collection Trust website, Trustees, retrieved September 19, 2024
  15. ^ Pilgrim Trust website, Introducing our new Trustee, Dr Anna Keay OBE, article dated November 2022
  16. ^ a b McTaggart, India (19 April 2026). "Late Queen's personal papers to be opened for official biography". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  17. ^ Relph, Daniela (18 April 2026). "New charity to remember Queen Elizabeth 100 years since her birth". BBC News. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  18. ^ "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B12.
  19. ^ "Baillie Gifford Prize 2022 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  20. ^ Massie, Allan (2 August 2008). "The kingly touch of Charles II". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 November 2014. Review
  21. ^ GoodReads website, Anna Keay
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