Japanese princess gives up her royal status to marry for love

Giving up everything you’ve known for the one you love is a tough thing to do.

But Japan’s Princess Mako barely batted an eyelid when she decided to relinquish her royal status to marry for love.

The eldest grandchild of Japanese Emperor Akihito officially confirmed her engagement to Kei Komuro: a 25-year-old law graduate.

According to Japanese law, female members of the Imperial family must give up their royal status if they wish to marry a commoner.

Princess Mako said that she had been expecting to make this decision her entire life, telling the Japan Times: “I was aware since my childhood that I’d leave royal status once I married. While I worked to help the emperor and fulfil duties as a royal family member as much as I can, I’ve been cherishing my own life.”

The couple met in 2012 at a Tokyo university. Although Komuro reportedly proposed in December 2013, the engagement only became public knowledge on Sunday.

Princess Mako’s grandfather, Emperor Akihito, officially approved their engagement in a ceremony at the weekend, kickstarting a lengthy process that is likely to delay the couple’s marriage until at least 2018.

Few royals around the world have given up their potential throne for love. One of the only people to abdicate in British history was King Edward VIII who left the royal family to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson in 1931.

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