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Anna Julia Keay OBE (born August 1974 in the West Highlands of Scotland), is a British architectural historian, author and television personality. Since 2012 she has served as director of the Landmark Trust.

Early life and education

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

She was educated at Oban High School in Argyll and Bedales School. She then read history at Magdalen College in Oxford.

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

Career

Keay worked for English Heritage from 2002 to 2012, including seven years as Assistant Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces, responsible for Hampton Court, the Banqueting House, Whitehall, and the Tower of London. 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.

She has served as director of The Landmark Trust since 2012.

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

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

Keay is Trustee of the Royal Collection Trust and the Pilgrim Trust.

Personal life

Keay married fellow historian Simon Thurley in 2008. The couple have a daughter and a son, non-identical twins, born in 2008. The family lives in London and Norfolk.

Awards and honours

• Keay was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to heritage.
• Shortlisted for the 2022 Baillie Gifford Prize for The Restless Republic.
• Duff Cooper Prize (2022)

Selected publications

• 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)
• 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)
• 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

1. ^ "Biography". Anna Keay. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
2. ^ Lister-Kaye, Hermione (13 June 2014). "Anna Keay on India, motherhood and the Duke of Monmouth". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
3. ^ "The Landmark Trust > Staff > Dr Anna Keay, Director". The Landmark Trust. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
4. ^ "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. ^ "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. "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B12.
17. "Baillie Gifford Prize 2022 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
18. Massie, Allan (2 August 2008). "The kingly touch of Charles II". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 November 2014. Review
19. GoodReads website, Anna Keay

External links

• Official website
• Clifton House - private home of Dr Anna Keay and Dr Simon Thurley, occasionally open to the public

• 1974 births
• Living people
• British women historians
• British architectural historians
• People educated at Oban High School
• Officers of the Order of the British Empire
• People educated at Bedales School