The 59-year-old heir has not been shy about criticising the sometimes stifling lifestyle imposed on royals, particularly as his wife Masako has struggled to adapt to imperial life. In Britain, he was able to shed some of the strictures of royal life in Japan, mingling with other students as well as the British royal family, and he has spoken fondly of that period. The daughter of a diplomatic family and educated at Harvard and Oxford, Masako left behind a promising diplomatic career of her own to marry into the royal family. She also came under enormous pressure to bear a son because japan's imperial succession excludes women. But the couple "will not be able to do the same amount of activities as the current imperial couple do" given Masako's health, Kawanishi told AFP.

Source: The Star April 30, 2019 03:56 UTC