They've been dubbed Japan’s Meghan and Harry and the parallels are startling: a royal falls in love with a commoner and then rejects the wealth, status and privilege that comes with being a member of the monarchy and moves to America to start a new life. The romance between Princess Mako, niece of the country’s Emperor Naruhito, and her commoner boyfriend, Kei Komuro – he of the rebellious ponytail and Western ways – has simultaneously gripped and divided Japan. And recently, after years of controversy, the princess and the law graduate finally tied the knot in a subdued civil ceremony. The event marked the end of a long and tumultuous road to the altar that’s seen Mako (30) giving up her royal status and re-starting life as an ordinary citizen.

Source: New York Times November 05, 2021 21:09 UTC