Overview
- Buckingham Palace confirmed Sunday that King Charles commissioned historian Anna Keay to write the official, authorized biography of Queen Elizabeth II.
- The palace said Keay will access the late Queen’s personal and official papers in the Royal Archives, with permission to interview family, friends, and household staff.
- Keay is an award-winning historian and director of the Landmark Trust, with past roles at Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Collection Trust, and her book The Restless Republic won the 2023 Duff Cooper Prize.
- British media had reported the King preferred a woman for the role, and some historians now suggest a multi‑volume approach that could postpone the most sensitive periods of the reign.
- Previous authorized royal biographies have revealed new details, including William Shawcross’s account of the Queen Mother’s treated bowel cancer, suggesting fresh insights may follow.