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Royal Armouries appoints director general
Nat Edwards joins from Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds
The Royal Armouries has appointed Nat Edwards as the director general and master of the Armouries.
Edwards is currently the chief executive officer of Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds where he has overseen a £4m refurbishment of the venue since joining in 2018. He has worked in the sector for more than 30 years, including roles at the Science Museum Group, National Library of Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Glasgow Museums.
The Royal Armouries has sites in Leeds, HM Tower of London and Fort Nelson in Hampshire. It employs about 190 staff and receives about 2 million visitors a year across its three venues.
“One of the wonderful things about working in museums is that, however many years you spend in them, they never fail to amaze and surprise,” Edwards says. “The Armouries is one of the world’s oldest museums and over the years has witnessed through its buildings and collections, some of the most incredible stories – touching every aspect of our humanity at its best and at its worst.
“I can’t wait to discover those shared stories together with all the new audiences whom I will make it my mission to welcome in – not simply as spectators to history but as active participants in its making.”
The previous director general of the Armouries, Edward Impey, retired at the start of the year. He had been in post since 2013.