In the room next door at Merton College was the crown prince, who was now Emperor Naruhito.
“It came as a bit of a surprise, but we hit it off right away,” recalls Keith, who is currently practicing law in West Virginia.
Emperor Naruhito is returning to his former student haunts while on an official visit to the UK, some 40 years after they first met.
Keith, a bluegrass musician from the Appalachian Mountains, offered the young Japanese prince an opportunity to explore life outside of the Imperial court.
At the ceremony, there were no titles or positions. Keith says, “He asked me to call him Hiro the first day.”
Knowing the prince’s security detail, who had to go with them if they were heading to the restaurant or pub, was another perk of having a royal in the room next door.
Keith adds, “I became very good friends with them too.”
The American lawyer and the Japanese emperor have maintained communication, with the crown prince even paying Keith and his family a visit in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Keith’s parents received an invitation to a state banquet in Washington, DC, together with Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, as a token of appreciation for housing the prince in their home.
