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Princess Gives up Throne to Wed Commoner. Shocks All by Postponing Wedding

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Japan’s Princess Mako shocked her country in 2017 when she announced her engagement to commoner Kei Komuro, a graduate student and law firm worker.

Mako and Komuro, both 26, first met six years ago while both were attending the International Christian University in Tokyo and became engaged.



“I was first attracted to his bright smiles that seemed like the sun,” the princess said of falling in love with Komuro.

“It would be nice to have a warm and comfortable household with Mr. Komuro, so that we can make a family full of smiles.”

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But centuries-old law in Japan states that a female royal must immediately give up her title if they choose to wed a commoner.

The last to do so in the Imperial family was Princess Mako’s aunt, former princess Sayako, the only daughter of Emperor Akhito.

Mako and Komuro’s engagement quickly began to raise concerns in the country about the shrinking size of the imperial family.

Imperial law states that only male heirs can ascend Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne. Currently, there are only 19 members of the family in total, and 14 of them are women.



With only three male heirs and six unmarried princesses in the family, many have begun to worry that if more members choose to marry commoners, there will not be enough royals left to perform their public duties.

Soon after their engagement announcement in May of 2017, the wedding date was announced for November 2018.

But in a new statement, the couple has announced that they will be postponing their wedding until at least 2020.

In the statement, Mako announced that she and her fiancé had “rushed various things” and wanted to take some time to think about the future.

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“I wish to think about marriage more deeply and concretely and give sufficient time to prepare our marriage and for after the marriage,” the princess said.

Imperial Household sources also spoke with the media, stating that the postponement came after the princess “came to recognize the lack of time to make sufficient preparations.”

Do you think Princess Mako made a wise decision?

The princess is said to also have the respect of her grandparents, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, in this decision.

“We feel extremely sorry for causing great trouble and further burden to those who have willingly supported us,” Mako said in the statement.

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Liz was a senior story editor for The Western Journal.
Liz was a senior story editor for The Western Journal.
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