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rachel mackay historic royal palaces at kew

Rachel Mackay Head of Hampton Court Palace Historic Royal Palaces

A museum professional with expertise in visitor experience and operations, Rachel Mackay is the head of Hampton Court Palace for Historic Royal Palaces

Mackay is responsible for the day-to-day management, the sites, and planning for the future of Kew Palace, the Royal Kitchens, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage and the Great Pagoda.

In response to the COVID lockdowns, Mackay created The Recovery Room. This is a website resource for her fellow museum and attractions professionals to help them navigate and manage through the impact of the crisis. It has a particular focus on operations and has been a vital resource for museum professionals as their sites look to reopen.

During her time on furlough from her role at Kew in 2020, Mackay has focussed on helping heritage charities and attractions rebuild and recover from the pandemic. She has provided pro bono consultation services on reopening plans and conducted a Masters research project analysing how museums and cultural organisations in the UK have responded to the pandemic from a crisis management point of view.

Prior to her role at Kew, Mackay was Senior Visitor Engagement Manager at the Natural History Museum. She has a degree in Medieval History from the University of St. Andrews

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