Anna Keay

Anna Keay OBE (born 1974 or 1975, in the West Highlands of Scotland) is a British architectural historian, author, and television personality, and since 2012, Director of The Landmark Trust.

Keay is the daughter of author John Keay and granddaughter of Conservative politician and former Chief Whip, Humphrey Atkins. Her mother Julia Keay was also a writer.

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

She has a PhD from the University of London; her thesis was on court ceremonial in the reign of Charles II.

She worked for English Heritage 2002–2012, including seven years as Curator of the Tower of London; and as its Director of Properties Presentation, was involved in the restoration of the Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle which featured in a 2009 BBC television series about English Heritage.

Since 2012 she has served as Director of The Landmark Trust.

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

Keay married fellow historian Simon Thurley in 2008, and the couple have boy-girl twins.

• Keay was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to heritage.

• The Earl of Essex: The Life and Death of a Tudor Traitor (2001, Historic Royal Palaces, ISBN 978-1873993156)
• The Magnificent Monarch: Charles II and the Ceremonies of Power (2008, Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1847252258)
• The Crown Jewels: The Official Illustrated History (2012, Thames & Hudson, ISBN 978-0500289822)
• The Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle (2013, English Heritage, ISBN 9781848020344)