Earlier this morning, before his meeting with King Charles, Prince William led the royal welcome of the Emperor, Naruhito, and Empress, Masako of Japan, at their hotel prior to heading to the Horse Guards Parade in London.
King Charles Shared His Personal History With Naruhito
The guests returned to Buckingham Palace for lunch and to view artifacts from the Royal Collection associated with Japan-UK relations.
The King spoke at the state banquet and shared his personal history with Emperor Naruhito with guests. The two men first bonded in 1984 when Naruhito, the grandson of the then-Emperor Hirohito, spent a few days at the Royal Family’s Highland retreat.
During Naruhito’s stay, he and Charles went fishing but did not catch anything.
“I am only sorry to report that I haven’t had any better luck with more recent attempts at fishing,”
He quipped.
That wasn’t the only time Naruhito and Charles spent together. In 1991, Naruhito visited the UK to attend the Japan Festival, and he and the then-Prince of Wales attended several events together.
They enjoyed green tea served during a traditional Japanese outdoor tea ceremony. They have also met at weddings and coronations of other European royal families.
During his speech, he made an unexpected joke about Hello Kitty and Pokemon, which Prince William found humorous. As per Town and Country Magazine, “And as King Charles spoke this evening of the links between Japan and the UK, he gave a special mention to Japanese phenomenons Hello Kitty and Pokémon.”
The King said that
“There is more to the shared culture of Britain and Japan than how much we enjoy tea and talking about the weather.”
Naruhito responded to the King’s speech, saying it was important for the two countries (UK and Japan) to strive for mutual understanding.
The Japanese Royals brought gifts to the King and Queen. They presented the King with a black lacquerware box, a brocade handbag for the Queen, and a framed photo of the emperor and empress.
The King And The Emperor Exchanged Gifts
Charles gave Naruhito and Masako a set of gold and silver glasses and a bottle of Glen Garioch from a Japanese-owned Aberdeenshire distillery. Camilla gifted Masako a beautiful handmade fan.
During the trip, the emperor and empress will go to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle to lay a wreath on Queen Elizabeth’s tomb. Naruhito has fond memories of spending time with the Queen. He also went to her funeral in September 2022.
In the evening, they had a lavish dinner, and the King appointed the emperor to the Order of the Garter, the ultimate honor in the UK.
King Charles visited Japan five times. During his visit in May 1986, he spoke at the plenary session chamber of the House of Representatives.
He said,
“The people of Britain were honored that the emperor had chosen to continue his studies in the UK.”
But the King joked that he would have told him to attend the University of Cambridge. Charles studied at Cambridge from 1967 to 1970 and was the first heir to the throne to earn a college degree.
Between 1983 and 1986, Naruhito studied at Oxford. The Emperor and Empress will take a nostalgic trip back to Oxford University on Friday.
Naruhito and Masaka’s trip to the UK aims to boost correspondence between the UK and Japan. Its purpose is also to forge friendly relationships across generations connecting Japan’s imperial family and the British royal family.
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