Keith Williams, the coal merchant son of a Perak sultan
A man living in Penygroes, a small village in Wales, claims to be the firstborn son of a Malaysian sultan.
According to a UK publication, Keith Williams, a 64-year-old coal merchant who was an adopted child, says he had no clue about his royal origins but uncovered the fairytale truth as he researched his biological parents.
“It’s like a story from a Disney film and if someone had told you this story in the café or by the bar, you’d tell them to get out,” he said.
Williams, who says his father was Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Shah, the 33rd Sultan of Perak, was the subject of a documentary, Fy Nhad y Swltan (My Father the Sultan), broadcast in Wales on 6 January.
Williams, better known as Keith y Glo (Keith the Coal) in his local community, was born in Llanelli and was adopted when he was two years old. He worked in his adoptive father’s coal business for over 20 years before deciding to trace his biological parents.
He eventually found his biological mother, Elizabeth Rosa, in Peterborough, which led him to the discovery of his biological father.
"Finding out that my dad came from Malaysia was a bit of a shock. When I found my birth mother, I discovered she had kept lots of old photos and information about him,” he said.
Williams, now a grandfather to six granddaughters, traveled with his youngest son to Malaysia to learn more about his family.
He said it was difficult making contact with various members of his biological family due to their reluctance to meet him.
However, Williams made clear he has no desire to claim his father’s title, or any of his fortune.
