Buckingham Palace confirms Anna Keay granted rare access to royal archives

King Charles has commissioned acclaimed historian Anna Keay to write the official biography of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

Keay, an award-winning author and director of the Landmark Trust, has been granted rare access to the Royal Archives, allowing her to study a vast collection of private papers and official documents linked to the life and reign of Britain’s longest-serving monarch. 

She is also expected to speak with individuals who knew the Queen personally, including members of the Royal Family.

The appointment follows years of careful consideration within royal circles to select a historian with the experience and credibility to document a reign that spanned seven decades and defined a modern era of monarchy.

A respected figure in British historical writing, Keay read modern history at Oxford University and previously worked as a curator at Historic Royal Palaces. 

Her recent book The Restless Republic explored post-Civil War Britain and earned major literary recognition, while earlier works such as The Crown Jewels have cemented her reputation as a leading voice in popular historical scholarship.

The forthcoming biography is expected to be one of the most comprehensive accounts of Queen Elizabeth II’s life ever produced.