Anna Keay

Anna Keay
Born	August 1974 (age 50) West Highlands, Scotland
Nationality	British
Education	Doctor of Philosophy
Alma mater	Oxford University University of London
Occupation(s)	Architectural historian, author, TV personality
Years active	1996–present
Employer(s)	The Landmark Trust, (Director 2012–present)
Spouse	Simon Thurley ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	Two
Parents	John Keay (father) Julia Keay (mother)
Relatives	Humphrey Atkins (grandfather)
Website	www.annakeay.co.uk

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

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 then 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 2002–2012, 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.

Private 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)

External links

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