The appointment reflects the King's determination for the book to be a landmark work. According to the Daily Mail, a royal source described that King Charles wanted the commission to go to a woman. The same source noted that the King has selected Anna Keay, whom he knows and trusts to do a thorough job. Major media reports indicate King Charles is determined that Queen Elizabeth II's authorized biography should be a landmark book. The Daily Mail reports that Anna Keay will have unrivalled access to the private papers of the late Queen Elizabeth II. It remains unknown how long Anna Keay will spend writing the biography or when it will be published, and the exact nature of the 'landmark' aspects beyond being written by a female author have not been specified.
Anna Keay's professional connections to King Charles are well-established. The Daily Mail reports that she runs the Landmark Trust, a building conservation charity of which King Charles is patron. She is also a trustee of the Royal Collection Trust, which cares for the monarch's private art collection, according to the same source.
Her personal ties to the King further underscore this relationship. The Daily Mail states that Anna Keay's husband is Simon Thurley, a friend of King Charles who is chairman of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Simon Thurley is 63 years old, and Anna Keay and Simon Thurley married in 2008, as reported by the Daily Mail.
This appointment invites comparison to previous royal biography projects. The Daily Mail reports that William Shawcross received a £1 million advance for writing the authorized biography of the Queen Mother. William Shawcross was knighted 'for public service' in 2023, according to the same source. It is unknown whether Anna Keay will receive an advance similar to Shawcross's £1 million for the Queen Mother's biography.
Anna Keay's personal background adds context to her selection. The Daily Mail reports that she is 51 years old. She was educated at Bedales School in Hampshire and Magdalen College, Oxford, and is the granddaughter of former Tory minister Humphrey Atkins, according to the Daily Mail. Anna Keay and Simon Thurley live in a Grade I-listed medieval merchant's house in King's Lynn, Norfolk, as reported by the Daily Mail. The specific contents or focus of the authorized biography of Queen Elizabeth II have not been disclosed.
In an unrelated story, TV cook Tonia Buxton has shared details about a recent cosmetic procedure. The Daily Mail reports that Tonia Buxton has had an Endolift, a non-surgical laser treatment, at a beauty clinic in London. The Endolift procedure costs around £3,000, and Tonia Buxton is 58 years old, according to the Daily Mail. On social media, Tonia Buxton said she would show behind-the-scenes of her Endolift journey and results.