Princess Mako of Japan gives up her title to marry Kei Moriya who is considered a commoner. The couple will exit Japan soon and move to the United States.
AFTER three long years, Princess Mako of Japan finally tied the knot with her university sweetheart Kei Moriya, who is referred to as a ‘commoner’, in a ritual-filled ceremony Monday at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine.
The couple registered their marriage by signing paperwork at a local office in Tokyo’s Akasaka estate yesterday.
Faced with scrutiny by the media and heated debate on the issues of how modern-day royals are expected to follow tradition, the marriage was delayed for three years.
In addition, it also raised gender equality and human rights issues in the world’s oldest continuous monarchy.
The issues surrounding her marriage reportedly left Princess Mako with post-traumatic stress disorder.
This, as concerns were raised about the future of the 2600-year-old bloodline.
However, Mako is not the first to marry a commoner.
Mako takes after her grandfather Emperor Akihito, who was the first.
However, since the ruling does not apply to males, he was able to marry a commoner breaking the almost two thousand year tradition.
Following the marriage, Princess Mako is now stripped of her royal title and will live a normal life with her husband.
The newly wed couple is expected to move to the United States in the near future.
Moriya is currently working in New York for a law firm.
In a rare statement, the former Princess said that their marriage was a "necessary choice" and she wants to lead a "peaceful life" in a new environment after years of public controversy over a family financial dispute.
By tradition, Japanese princesses are given a one-off payment when they start their life as a commoner in order to help maintain a certain standard of living.
Due to concerns that a controversial marriage might benefit from taxpayer money, the princess declined the usual payment of about $1.3 million to women who are required by law to leave Japan's royal family after marrying a commoner.
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.
Tags: Japan, royals, international