Japan Princess Gives Up Royal Status To Marry Commoner

The youngest daughter of Japanese Emperor Akihito's cousin, Princess Ayako, has married Kei Moriya, a shipping firm employee, in a traditional ceremony at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine. To marry a common man, Ayako sacrificed her royal status on Monday when the wedding happened. Under the Japanese law, a woman has to renounce royalty to marry outside of the royal family.

"I'm filled with joy after my marriage and to have so many people visit us at the Meiji Shrine and congratulate us," Princess Ayako told a news conference after the private Shinto wedding ceremony, Al Jazeera reported.

The 28-year-old princess adorned a red court kimono and the moulded hairdo typical of the country's imperial aristocracy. The man of the moment, her partner, came wearing a morning suit. 32-year-old Moriya works in Nippon Yusen, one of the world's oldest shipping companies.

“I want us to work together, hand in hand, to create a family filled with smiles,” said Moriya, adding that he wishes to help Ayako adjust to normal life. Both of them met through their mothers, who are friends as well.

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While the princess left the imperial house last week, she hopes to continue with her work as an advisor to the emperor and empress as a former member of the royal family. With Ayako gone, Japan's Imperial Household has only 18 members left. The abandonment of royal status by women has forced the royal family to take note. Now, they have called for changes in the Imperial Succession Law, which also prohibits royal women from ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

"I'm filled with joy after my marriage and to have so many people visit us at the Meiji Shrine and congratulate us," Princess Ayako

While today, Japanese royals have to lose their status to marry a commoner, it wasn’t like this always. For three generations, Japanese royals had the freedom to marry whoever they wished to with their royal status intact. The country’s first crown prince and current emperor, Emperor Akihito, was the first royal to marry a commoner Michiko Shoda, now Empress Michiko, on a tennis court.

Emperor Akihito will relinquish his position as crown prince in 2019. The Japanese parliament passed a law in 2017 which allows him to step down as a monarch. His eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito will become the next monarch on May 1, 2019, when the 85-year-old steps down. Akihito's eldest granddaughter, Princess Mako, is also expected to marry a commoner in 2020 when she will marry her college sweetheart, Kei Komuro, who works at a law firm.

Picture credit- ABC

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