Japanese Princess Mako announced her wedding to her former college classmate. The 29-year-old niece of Emperor Naruhito became engaged to Kei Komuro in 2017. The announcement of their engagement was met with much public disapproval. As Komuro is a commoner, the princess will exit the Royal family. The wedding will take place on October 26. The announcement was made by The Imperial Household Agency, which runs the lives of the royal family. The wedding will be sans all the rituals that usually accompanies a Japanese Royal Wedding. The princess also will forgo a one-off payment of a million dollars she is entitled to.
Kei Komuru, a lawyer, has a job lined up at a law firm in New York. The wedding was postponed after reports of a financial dispute between Komuro’s mother and her former fiance came up, linked to ¥4m (£26,700) she had received from the latter, some of which was used to pay for her son’s education. A recent poll by the daily Mainichi showed 38per cent of respondents supported the marriage, while 35per cent opposed it, and 26 per cent expressed no interest. The couple will also forgo a formal meeting with Emperor Naruhito before the wedding.
Mako can never be a reigning Empress due to Japan's male-only succession law.
The couple will register their marriage at a local government office, with records of the imperial family adjusted to reflect that Princess Mako has left it, reports have said.
