Princess Mako of Japan: the woman who gave up king status to get married

In 2017, when Mako, then a Japanese princess, announced her engagement to a former classmate, Kei Komuro, she said she had won her heart with “her sun-bright smiles”.

The two had met five years earlier, when they were both college students, and had shared their plans to get married the following year. It meant that the princess would become a regular citizen as female members of the imperial family would lose their royal status after marrying a commoner.

Their smiles have conquered a country where the imperial family is closely scrutinized and its members are expected to be custodians of traditions. The intense media coverage was mostly positive.

But that quickly changed.

Two months later, first news emerged of an alleged financial dispute between Mr. Komuro’s mother and ex-boyfriend, who claimed that mother and son had failed to repay a debt.

Public perception has soured. With the official explanation that the couple needed more time to organize the ceremony, their wedding was postponed.

Ms. Mako is the first daughter of the current emperor’s younger brother, Prince Akishino, and his wife, Princess Kiko. Born on October 23, 1991, she initially followed the royal tradition and attended the elite Gakushuin school, where members of the imperial family usually study.

But he broke with custom by leaving the institute for his university studies. Ms. Mako attended Tokyo International Christian University, where she studied art and cultural heritage, and spent a year at the University of Edinburgh. Subsequently, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Leicester, an experience he called “wonderful”.

People close to Ms. Mako described her as an independent and friendly woman who had pursued a career while performing imperial duties, a profile from Japan’s Kyodo News Agency said.

He first met Mr. Komuro, also born in 1991, at a meeting of students planning to go overseas in 2012. His humble beginnings meant that the tabloids spent a lot of time digging into his family. Amid the 2018 scandal, he moved to New York to study law at Fordham University and only returned to Japan last September.

His return was not without controversy. Mr. Komuro was casually dressed and sported long hair pulled back into a ponytail, which for many was another proof that he was unsuitable for marrying the then princess.

Finally, in October, the couple got married. Ms. Mako skipped the usual rituals associated with a royal family wedding and refused a traditional payment of around $ 1.3 million (£ 940,000) given to a female member of the royal family upon their departure from the family.

It was another break with tradition, as Ms. Mako became the first woman to do so.

Questions remain about Komuro’s finances, despite him claiming that the money at the center of the reports – about $ 35,000 – had been a gift, not a loan, but that he would pay off on a deal. On their wedding day at least one protest was held, which included signs reading “Protect our family” and “The imperial family is the soul of Japan”.

Excessive press coverage and relentless social media attacks have impacted the mental health of Ms. Mako, who is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

The couple is expected to move to the United States, where Komuro works as a lawyer. The move drew comparisons with British royalty Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, earning the bride and groom the nickname “Japan’s Harry and Meghan”.

According to Reuters news agency, Ms. Mako is expected to stay in Tokyo for some time to prepare for the move. This includes applying for the first passport of his life.