Princess Mako to marry after delay
TOKYO: After years of controversy, Princess Mako will marry this month, but she will forego traditional rites and will not take a usual payment given to royal women marrying commoners.
The Imperial Household Agency said yesterday that Princess Mako, who is the niece of Emperor Naruhito, will marry Kei Komuro on Oct 26, local media reported.
But the union has come under criticism, with the agency telling reporters that the 29-year-old princess was suffering complex post-traumatic stress disorder because of media coverage.
Princess Mako, who is the daughter of Japan’s crown prince, has enduring years of sniping and stalling over her plans to marry Mr Komuro, also 29.
Japan’s imperial succession rules mean that Princess Mako will lose her title after the marriage.
But her partner has still been heavily scrutinised over allegations that his mother borrowed money from a former fiance and failed to repay it.
After tabloid reporting on the claims, a furore erupted around the young couple in a country where the royal family is held to an exacting standard.
The pair postponed their wedding, and Mr Komuro moved to the United States for law school in a move that was widely seen as a bid to defuse the negative attention.
Crown Prince Akishino last year said that he supported his daughter’s marriage, but that she needed to win the public’s “understanding”.
However, the pair appear to have decided they have waited long enough, and are now expected to move to New York after marrying.
Mr Komuro returned to Japan earlier this week to a media frenzy.
He is currently observing Japan’s mandatory 14-day quarantine for overseas arrival, and local media said the couple were expected to reunite for the first time in around three years after he emerges on Oct 11.
Princess Mako will become the first royal to forego traditional marriage rites and a payment — reportedly up to US$1.3 million (43 million baht) — since World War II, according to local media.
The tumult, and the couple’s decision to move to the US, have made for inevitable comparisons with Britain Prince Harry and Megan Markle.
Princess Mako is sister to Prince Hisahito, 15, currently the only eligible male heir to the throne other than his father.
Japan’s throne can pass only to male members of the family, and the children of female royals who marry outside the aristocracy are not included.
The strict rules have raised fears for the future of the royal family, with just two male heirs and no prospect of new ones for years to come.
But attempts to debate succession reform have met with staunch opposition from traditionalists.