The Royal Household has confirmed the appointment of Dr Anna Keay OBE as the official authorised biographer of Queen Elizabeth II, in a landmark commission approved by the King.
Dr Keay will be given unprecedented access to the late Queen’s personal and official papers held in the Royal Archives, as well as the opportunity to speak with members of the Royal Family, former staff and others who knew her throughout her life and reign. The work is expected to provide the most comprehensive account yet of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
The biography has been personally commissioned by King Charles, who is understood to have played a key role in selecting Dr Keay for the prestigious task. Her research will draw on both archival material and first-hand testimony, offering new insight into the Queen’s private and public life.
An award-winning historian, biographer and curator, Dr Keay is widely respected for her work on British history and the monarchy. She previously served as Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and is currently Director of the Landmark Trust, as well as a Trustee of the Royal Collection Trust. She also sits on the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee.
In a statement following her appointment, Dr Keay described the commission as a profound honour, paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as a “remarkable woman” whose life spanned a century of profound change. She said she was deeply grateful to the King for entrusting her with the responsibility and for granting access to the Royal Archives, adding that she would do her utmost to do justice to the late Queen’s life and service.
Her previous works include The Restless Republic: Britain Without a Crown, which won the 2023 Duff Cooper Prize for Non-Fiction, as well as biographies and historical studies including The Last Royal Rebel and The Crown Jewels: The Official Illustrated History.
Royal biographies of this kind have often revealed new detail about major historical figures, shedding light on both public decisions and private moments. The appointment is expected to be closely followed, given the scale of access granted and the significance of the subject.
The King’s decision to commission an official biography underscores the continuing effort to document and preserve the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II for future generations.
