Japan’s Princess Mako quietly married a commoner without traditional wedding celebrations Oct. 26 and said their marriage — delayed three years and called unfit by some — “was a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts.”
When Mako married Kei Komuro, she gave up her royal status — a requirement for any female royal who marries a commoner.
The couple’s marriage document was submitted by a palace official in the morning and made official, the Imperial Household Agency said. There was no wedding banquet or any other marriage ritual for the couple.
“For me, Kei-san is a priceless person. For us, our marriage was a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts,” Mako told a televised news conference, using an honorific in speaking of her husband.
Komuro responded: “I love Mako-san. I live only once and I want to spend it with someone I love.”
Mako, who turned 30 three days before the marriage, is a niece of Emperor Naruhito. She and Komuro were classmates at Tokyo’s International Christian University, and in September 2017 announced their intention to marry the following year, but a financial dispute involving Komuro’s mother surfaced two months later and the wedding was suspended. (AP)