Japan’s Princess marries college boyfriend, gives up royal title

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Japan's Princess Mako married her college boyfriend on Tuesday, giving up her royal title.</p>
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Under Japanese law, female imperial family members forfeit their status upon marriage to a "commoner" although male members do not.</p>
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Mako also skipped the usual rites of a royal wedding and turned down a payment offered to royal females upon their departure from the family. She is the first female member of the royal family to decline both, according to a BBC report.</p>
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In a news conference with new husband and commoner Kei Komuro, Mako said her marriage to Komuro had been inevitable despite the strong opposition to it.</p>
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Japan's Princess Mako married her college sweetheart, giving up her royal title and saying she was determined to build a happy life with her husband after a tumultuous engagement <a href="https://t.co/nQoFa8znKb">https://t.co/nQoFa8znKb</a> <a href="https://t.co/VUvVaYLPYd">pic.twitter.com/VUvVaYLPYd</a></p>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1452946858834268167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Kei is irreplaceable for me. For us, marriage is a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts," Mako said at a news conference.</p>
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Mako – now known as Mako Komuro – was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) earlier this year after an engagement plagued by a money scandal, intense media scrutiny and a three-year separation from her fiancé.</p>
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She said "incorrect" reporting on her new husband had caused her "great fear, stress and sadness".</p>
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"The flow of arbitrary criticism of Kei's actions, as well as one-sided speculation that ignored my feelings, made falsehoods somehow seem like reality and turn into an unprovoked story that spread," she added.</p>
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The two announced their engagement in 2017 at a news conference that was widely welcomed in Japan. But the situation soon took a nasty turn as local tabloids reported on a money scandal involving Komuro's mother, triggering a wave of criticism in the media.</p>
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The marriage was postponed, and he left Japan to study law in New York in 2018, keeping in touch with Mako through the Internet. They were reunited again this month.</p>