Japan’s Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Japan’s Crown Prince has officially left Japan’s royalty after she married her commoner boyfriend Kei Komuro without traditional wedding celebrations on Tuesday.
The decision came after years of controversy over a financial dispute involving Komuro’s mother that led the couple to forgo traditional ceremonies associated with a royal marriage.
The controversy delayed the marriage by three years. It prompted the pair to skip any formal ceremony, instead just registering their union at a local government office on Tuesday.
Japan’s Princess Mako became Mako Komuro, taking the surname of her husband, Kei Komuro. Both are 30 years old. The former princess is the eldest of two daughters of Crown Prince Fumihito and is the niece of Emperor Naruhito.
After registering their marriage, the couple delivered prepared remarks and then distributed written answers to five questions submitted in advance by the media.
The decision was made as to the princess, who has been suffering from a mental health condition following a string of media reports about the financial dispute, “feels a strong sense of anxiety” imagining having to answer questions verbally, the Kyodo News Agency quoted the Imperial Household Agency as saying on Monday night in a sudden announcement.
Following the couple’ marriage, Princess Mako’s parents — Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko — said in a statement that their eldest daughter’s marriage was “unprecedented for the imperial family,” adding they hope she will cherish the feelings she has built up over time and make a happy family.
Kei Komuro returned in September from New York, where he works in a law firm, took the state bar exam and received a law degree from Fordham University Law School. The pair plan to relocate to New York.
The princess, who left her family’s imperial residence Tuesday morning, and Komuro arrived in a Tokyo condominium after the press conference. They are expected to stay there while preparing for a new life in New York.
(With inputs from agencies)
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