Princess Mako relinquishes her royal title after marrying commoner
Japanese Princess Mako has given up her royal status after marrying her university sweetheart and commoner, Kei Komuro.
The 30-year-old princess and her lawyer partner decided to forgo a traditional wedding celebration and instead registered their marriage in Tokyo.
The couple fronted a press conference in Japan, however they didn’t take questions as Princess Mako was fearful of what would be asked.
It comes after the palace revealed that Princess Mako is recovering from PTSD she developed after seeing negative media coverage about their pending marriage.
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Princess Mako will now become an ordinary citizen and in line with Japanese law will give up her royal status. She will also take the surname of her husband.
The princess refused the $1.64 million payment offered to female members of the royal family after they have renounced their title.
Princess Mako was photographed leaving the Imperial residence in Tokyo, carrying a small bouquet of pink flowers and wearing a pale blue skirt suit.
She hugged her parents, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, and her sister Kako, before getting into a car and leaving.
The couple will move to New York, where Kei Komuro is already working as a lawyer.
The Japanese Imperial House only allows male members to marry commoners and females must renounce their title if they wish to marry a commoner.
A swarm of controversy has surrounded the couple for the past three years, after a financial dispute involving the princess’ new mother-in-law saw many of the public oppose the marriage.
They got engaged in 2017, announcing the happy news at a press conference with a very much in love Mako saying: "I'll be happy if I can make a warm and comfortable family full of smiles”.
However, by 2018 they had postponed their marriage, after a financial dispute emerged between Komuro’s mother and her former fiance, who claims she failed to repay him a debt of $35,000.
Komuro’s mother said the money was provided to her as a gift, however this year, Komuro issued an apology and said he would repay the money on his mother’s behalf.
The scandal turned the public sentiment towards the couple sour and Princess Mako was later said to be suffering from PTSD from the reaction.
Now the couple are set to move to New York, where Komuro works as a lawyer.
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