Japanese Princess Mako to marry commoner Kei Komuro on October 26
In 2017, Emperor Naruhito's 29-year-old niece became engaged to Kei Komuro, 29, and the two first charmed the audience with their grins at each other in a news conference to announce the occasion.
FollowAfter years of intense scrutiny and criticism that portrayed her engagement in an unfavourable light, Japanese Princess Mako will marry her betrothed, a former college classmate, on October 26, authorities said Friday. In 2017, Emperor Naruhito's 29-year-old niece became engaged to Kei Komuro, 29, and the two first charmed the audience with their grins at each other in a news conference to announce the occasion. However, after tabloid stories surfaced regarding a financial disagreement between Komuro's mother and her former boyfriend, the marriage was called off in early 2018. Komuro left in August of that year to attend law school in the United States, and he didn't return until Monday.
The Imperial Household Agency, which manages the royal family's life, announced the wedding date at a press conference. According to the Kyodo news agency, the princess has a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mimicking the condition of Empress Masako, who has suffered for years with what has been dubbed an "adjustment illness." Mako, as is traditional, will leave the royal family upon her marriage. According to media sources, none of the traditional royal wedding rites will occur, and the princess will forego a one-time payment of a million dollars to which she is entitled.
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According to reports, the pair will register their marriage at a local government office, and the royal family's records will be updated to reflect Princess Mako's departure. The couple's marriage became embroiled in controversy after a tabloid revealed accusations by Komuro's mother's former fiance that the mother and son had failed to settle a $35,000 debt. Komuro has stated that the money was given to him as a present, not as a loan, by his mother's previous fiance.
The controversy expanded from tabloids to mainstream news outlets, and it got even more traction when imperial family members were compelled to come out. This year, Komuro gave a detailed statement. This year, Komuro finished his studies at Fordham Law School and passed the bar test, allowing him to practise law this summer. According to media sources, he has accepted a position as a clerk at a legal firm in the United States. He landed in Tokyo late Monday for his first visit in three years, sporting a ponytail that triggered heated debate in the tabloids and on TV over whether he was impolite.
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