Japan’s Princess marries and loses royal status

Japan’s Princess Mako lost her royal status after marrying a commoner – her college sweetheart Kei Komuro.

The marriage document was submitted by a palace official and is now official, the Imperial Household Agency said.

Under Japanese law, female imperial family members forfeit their status upon marriage to a “commoner” although male members do not.

Mako is the eldest of two daughters of Crown Prince Fumihito and is the niece of Emperor Naruhito.

In a press conference, Mako said she apologised for any trouble brought to the Japanese people by her marriage.

“I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused and I am grateful for those… who have continued to support me. For me, Kei is irreplaceable – marriage was a necessary choice for us.”

The former princess got engaged to Komuro in 2017 and the two were set to wed the following year. But the marriage was delayed following claims Mr Komuro’s mother had financial problems linked to Kei’s ex-fiancé.

Mako skipped the usual rites of a royal wedding and also turned down the payment of 140 million yen ($1.23 million) offered to royal females upon their departure from the family.

She is the first female member of the royal family to decline both.

No longer a royal, Mako has now taken the surname of her husband. The couple is expected to move to the US – where Mr Komuro works as a lawyer.