Japan’s Princess Mako Will Marry a Commoner and Relinquish Her Royal Status
All in the name of love. Princess Mako of Japan is set to marry a commoner named Kei Komuro, resulting in the young royal soon relinquishing her status as part of the Imperial Household.
According to CNN, Princess Mako—the granddaughter of Japanese Emperor Akihito and the daughter of Prince Akishino—has found her future husband in the graduate student. The 25-year-old future bride first met Komuro five years ago at a study-abroad program event in Tokyo. The two found a common bond as students at the International Christian University in the city.
While Komuro doesn’t directly hail from a royal lineage, he once starred in a tourism campaign as the “Prince of the Sea” for the coastal city of Fujisawa. Technically that counts, right?
Komuro addressed the buzz on Wednesday, telling the Associated Press and other reporters: “When the right time comes, I’d like to talk about it.”
The timeline will look something like his— first the couple will provide a public announcement. Then, they will set a wedding date and receive the approval of her grandparents, the emperor, 83, and the empress.
