Anna Keay Explained

Anna Keay
Birth Place:	West Highlands, Scotland
Nationality:	British
Education:	Doctor of Philosophy
Alma Mater:	Oxford University University of London
Occupation:	Architectural historian, author, TV personality
Years Active:	1996–present
Employer:	The Landmark Trust, (Director 2012–present)
Credits:	, which produces label "Notable credit(s)"; or by
Works:	, which produces label "Works" -->
Children:	Two
Mother:	Julia Keay
Father:	John Keay
Relatives:	Humphrey Atkins (grandfather)

Anna Julia Keay (born August 1974^{[1] [2]} in the West Highlands of Scotland),^[3] 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^[3] and Julia Keay.^[3] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Career

Keay worked for English Heritage from 2002–2012, including seven years as Assistant Curator of the Historic Royal Palaces,^[5] 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.^[6]

She has served as director of The Landmark Trust since 2012.^{[7] [8] [9]}

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.^[10]

She co-presented The Buildings That Shaped Britain on Channel 5.^[11] She later appeared on The Coronation and The Queen's Palaces.^[12]

Keay is Trustee of the Royal Collection Trust^[13] and the Pilgrim Trust.^[14]

Private life

Keay married fellow historian Simon Thurley in 2008. The couple have a daughter and a son, non-identical twins, born in 2008.^{[7] [15]} 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.^[16]
• Duff Cooper Prize (2022)

Selected publications

• The Earl of Essex: The Life and Death of a Tudor Traitor (2001, Historic Royal Palaces,)
• Elizabethan Tower of London (London Topographical Society, 2001,)
• The Magnificent Monarch: Charles II and the Ceremonies of Power (2008, Bloomsbury,)^[17]
• 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)
• The Crown Jewels: The Official Illustrated History (2012, Thames & Hudson,)
• The Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle (2013, English Heritage,)
• Landmark: A History of Britain in 50 Buildings with Caroline Stanford, (2015, France Lincoln,)^[18]
• 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,)
• Interregnum: The People’s Republic of Britain (2022, William Collins,)

External links

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Anna Julia KEAY - Personal Appointments . . 2021-05-22.
2. Web site: Anna Julia KEAY - Personal Appointments . . 2021-05-22.
3. Web site: Biography. Anna Keay. 13 September 2022.
4. PhD . Keay . Anna . 2004 . The ceremonies of Charles II's court . .
5. Web site: Anna Keay (Bloomsbury writer biography) .
6. News: Jardine. Cassandra. Heritage TV or a restoration comedy?. 6 November 2014. The Daily Telegraph. 18 April 2009.
7. News: Lister-Kaye. Hermione. 13 June 2014. Anna Keay on India, motherhood and the Duke of Monmouth. The Daily Telegraph. 7 April 2017.
8. Web site: The Landmark Trust > Staff > Dr Anna Keay, Director. The Landmark Trust. 7 April 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202710/https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/about-us/about-us/landmark-staff/Dr-Anna-Keay-Director/. 17 October 2017. dead.
9. https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/about-us/our-people/director-hods/ Landmark Trust website, Directors, retrieved September 19, 2024
10. Web site: Gallery 7: Room 4. The Museum of Curiosity, Quite Interesting Limited. QI.com. 8 April 2017.
11. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866516/?ref_=nm_flmg_knf_t_1 IMDB website, Buildings that shaped Britain
12. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1650929/ IMDB, Anna Keay
13. https://www.rct.uk/about-royal-collection-trust/governance/trustees Royal Collection Trust website, Trustees, retrieved September 19, 2024
14. https://www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk/introducing-our-new-trustee-dr-anna-keay-obe Pilgrim Trust website, Introducing our new Trustee, Dr Anna Keay OBE, article dated November 2022
15. Web site: Simon Thurley - about me. Simon Thurley. 7 April 2017.
16. Web site: 2022-10-11 . Baillie Gifford Prize 2022 shortlist announced . 2022-10-17 . Books+Publishing . en-AU.
17. News: Massie. Allan. The kingly touch of Charles II. 6 November 2014. The Daily Telegraph. 2 August 2008. Review
18. https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1889126.Anna_Keay GoodReads website, Anna Keay