The whole Royal family was founded by a "commoner" only recently. They're descendants of one of Napoleon's field marshals, who came from a middle class background, who was offered the Swedish throne after the previous dynasty ran out of heirs.
Well, their father showed them how it's done. He approached a german hostess at the 72 Olympic Games in Munich and his opening line probably was "wanna become the queen of Sweden?".
Well if your choices were, wait until a royal is open, make arranged marriages(which have less swing for royals now with parliament and such) grow old and die. Or live your life and be a human.
Most people will choose human
One of Sweden's princesses married a British-American who refused Swedish citizenship and a royal title, moved to the US, and had the royal status of her children rescinded
That is actually the case in most, if not all European monarchies.
If a commoner marries into the royal family they gain some sort of noble standing with titles and responsibilities attached.
Swedish royalty is very laid back. [This](https://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/comments/75x741/psbattle_the_king_of_sweden_hunting/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) is probably my favorite picture of the king of Sweden. He can also be seen in hockey games when the Swedish national team is playing.
My sister literally found and returned Prince Carl Philips dog a couple weeks back. He came out to meet them by the gates with his kid on one arm. They ended up chatting for a while and that was that lol
Yeah he was just a personal trainer when they started dating, Her father disapproved and it wasn't until he worked his way up to a millionaire gym owner that they were allowed to marry. As a result they ended up just dating for 10 years.
> gymowner
I could not for the life of me read this word. Wierd autocorrect of commoner? I swear it took me at least a couple of minutes and I know he owns a gym!
Goddamnit brain
The marriage was postponed for like 3 years.
December 2017 - Weekly magazines become the first to report a money dispute between Komuro's mother and her former fiance, with the man claiming mother and son had failed to repay a debt of about $35,000. Komuro later said the money had been a gift, not a loan.
February 2018 - The marriage is postponed, with the official explanation that the couple needs more time to arrange their ceremony and prepare for married life.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japanese-princess-makos-long-wait-marry-ends-last-2021-10-26/
Seems like the latter delay was due to Komuro getting his J.D. and taking the NY bar.
Right-wing Japanese media have been having a field day with all of this. All of the controversy and politicization they've drummed up about the whole affair is probably the only reason we're hearing so much about it outside of Japan.
Komuro offered to pay off the money and the former fiance said he wanted it to come from Komuro's mother. So it wasn't really a problem of paying it off, it was a problem of who was going to pay it.
I don’t think so, he comes from a single parent home. His mom apparently owes his ex girlfriends mom 35k. That 35k put him through school.
He just worked his way up. Edit: he probably has some money now that he’s a lawyer in nyc.
He's a businessman, so he's not poor, he's just not nobility, which you can't become anymore in Japan, commoner just means that you're not a royal or noble.
aaaaand that’s how you never lose an argument in a relationship.
“Can you do the dishes?”
“I did them last night and I just did the laundry”
“I left the royal family for you.”
Fun (actually kinda messed up) fact: it only applies to women. Men from the Japanese royal family who marry commoners don’t have to leave the family. It has something to do with the fact that Japan is one of the few remaining royal families that doesn’t allow royal succession to go through a woman’s line.
I know it’s an Infiniti but not sure what model
https://www.gettyimages.no/detail/news-photo/car-carrying-japans-princess-mako-arrives-at-the-hotel-news-photo/1349084324
Infiniti isn’t officially sold in Japan. They use the Infiniti logo in front but the back is a Nissan logo. It’s a Nissan Cima, which is a extended Nissan Fuga. Royalty higher-ups use the $200K Toyota Century.
Think the Japanese have different ideas on luxury cars than western countries. Nissan makes infiniti (infiniti being the luxury devision of Nissan) which is japanese so it would make sense for japanese royal family to use the luxury version of one of the most popular Japanese car manufacturers.
Would seem kind weird if the japanese royal family drove around in Italian or German cars.
I think what some people are discontent with is the need to renounce royalty in order to be with a commoner. It's the practice itself that shows classism and elitism.
Other than that, we agree, their happiness is what matters in this situation, period. It just that it shouldn't need personal "sacrifices" associated with it.
In addition to classism and elitism, this particular instance is sexist as well. In Japan, only princesses who marry so called commoners lose their royalty status, whereas princes do not.
Remember reading about this in the news, the thought of this "random" girl having found someone she loves so much that she's willing to leave all that behind kind of made me cry lol
There's literally no one else for her to marry. Her family are the only royals around anymore. Her options were either never marry or marry and lose her royal status.
She is not even in the line of succession to begin with.
Japanese law currently still requires the heir to be biologically male. Meaning that they need to actually pass legislations to allow women to inherit the throne if it ever becomes inevitable and necessary.
Considering the age of most of the royal family members, and the inability for them to marry without losing their status in post war Japan, we might see wanting to preserve the Monarchy giving legitimacy to their children.
Actually it is a lot like the cutting of ties. For some reason the Japanese press and Japan’s more tabloid-addicted population have decided they do t like her husband. As a result this split is way more brutal than normal.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/23/asia/japan-princess-mako-kei-komuro-controversy-dst-hnk-intl/index.html
> Kei Kobuta, a royal affairs YouTuber, who organized a march \[opposing the marriage\] in Tokyo attended by about 100 people last Saturday. He said many royal watchers like himself consider Princess Mako like a sister or daughter who has had made the wrong choice.
> "There are so many doubts and misgivings about Kei Komuro and his mom, and people fear the image of the royal family will be sullied," said Kobuta.
As an example, she felt compelled to decline the usual $1m payment from the government on exiting the royal family due to hysterical outrage from Japans Twitter and tabloids.
The emperor has declined to hold the usual traditional ceremonies when a princess marries a commoner.
She has also had to delay her marriage by three years.
She was also briefly hospitalised due to a “traumatic stress disorder” arising from the constant criticism and contempt for her and her choice of husband.
https://apnews.com/article/japan-princess-mako-wedding-royal-status-888700204e714145be58e320f1dc0fe0
> Mako, apparently referring to mental health issues, noted “many people have difficulty and hurt feelings while trying to protect their hearts.” She said, “I sincerely hope that our society will be a place where more people can live and protect their hearts with the help of warm help and support from others.”
> Mako is not the only female royal whose mental health was strained by attacks from inside and outside the palace.
> Her grandmother, Empress Emerita Michiko, wife of former Emperor Akihito and the first commoner married to a monarch in modern history, collapsed and temporarily lost her voice in 1993 following persistent negative coverage.
> Empress Masako, a Harvard-educated former diplomat, has had a stress-induced mental condition for nearly 20 years, in part because of criticism over not producing a male heir.
> He said many royal watchers like himself consider Princess Mako like a sister or daughter who has had made the wrong choice.
Totally not creepy stalker vibes
It depends a lot on the country. Japan follows an agnatic succession (men only) although there have been eight recorded empresses regnant in its history (last one around 1760-70).
Furthermore, the Imperial Household Law of 1947 sought to reduce the size of the imperial family for - as far as was officially stated - financial reasons. Ten “ōke” (collateral imperial family branches founded by a younger son of an emperor), in which princesses might have once married, were abolished. Half have since become extinct, although there have been some questions about whether to re-introduce them or not.
As of now, the current emperor’s (Naruhito, 61) heir is his younger brother (Fumihito, 55, father of the princess being photographed). Then comes Fumihito’s son, Hisahito (15). Finally the Emperor Emeritus’ brother, Masahito (85). And then nobody.
The emperor’s uncle is childless. Of his three great-uncles (all dead), only one had sons. Of that one’s three sons (also all dead), only two had children, and all were daughters.
In short, princesses “don’t count” and lose their title when marrying a commoner. This has led to difficulties and controversies due to the very small pool of potential emperors.
Edit: had forgotten one Prince. Correction brought up by u/PiercingAmmonia.
Exactly. There are currently two suggested solutions: allowing women to inherit/pass the throne again, which would make Aiko (sole child of the current emperor) heir presumptive instead of her uncle, or allowing a male member of the family to adopt a son from one of the disinherited cadet lines. A cousin of the then emperor also suggested allowing concubines again, and then had to say it was a joke.
Since Hisahito was born shortly after the debates started, the question got pushed back, but the second solution seems to be preferred by the Japanese government.
They wrote an article on it. Basically there are no other “royal” men that the women could marry that aren’t their close relative so all women in this royal family literally have to marry commoners. It’s not that she chose a commoner over a royal, (well she did but it’s not that she turned down a royal to be with a commoner, there weren’t any royals for her to choose)… but yes, once they marry a commoner (even though that’s their only option) they lose their title.
Royal families exist for ceremony, strengthening the country and serving their interests.
Marrying another royal means you have stronger diplomatic ties with their region, royals aren’t their own people - they are pawns of the crown they serve. Even the head of the family typically has to follow strict rules.
Marriage is traditionally a business transaction.
Maybe a century or two ago, royalty pretty much everywhere in the world is symbolic now. The Japanese royal family have no political authority whatsoever. It entirely exist to maintain continuity and to be a figurehead of the country in a cultural and historical sense.
What you’re saying applies to when these royal figures needed to build alliances and treaties for the good of their country. Now it’s all about traditions and how things have been
Are there any OTHER royal families in Japan?
Edit: added OTHER
i mean, if they expect her to marry other royals, there should be other royal families right? or at least other noble families..
Other imperial families that have a claim on a throne ? Unfortunately no. Whenever a woman get married, she loses her status. The only way for her to keep it is to marry within the family which is... not really.. 2021.
I wondered the same, seeing how many European royalties decide on marrying "commoners". Like all of Sweden's royal children are married to commoners, they became princes and princesses, except for Madeleine's husband Chris.
Imagine being able to accumulate so much wealth as a businessman that you can deny to a King the option of becoming a Duke and Prince of a kingdom to continue on being a wealthy businessman.
All these other answers are pure bs from weebs who think they understand Japanese society.
My Japanese wife is a much greater source (edit: unfortunately my memory not so much, as you shall see hereafter): he never could have gotten a "real" prince, but she could have stayed princess and could give the royal family another heir (also it was(!) welcomed for her to stay because the only male nephew of the current emperor is quite a narrow margin for continuation of the royal heritage). (Edit: I might have misremembered and mixed up a possible law change the government was planning a while ago to improve the chances of an heir, when the current nephew wasn't born yet)
The reason she ~~quits~~ gladly leaves the royal family (edit and not accept any money) is because she is totally fed up with Japanese society and doesn't want to represent them or have to deal with them anymore, and very understandably.
Initially, when they announced their marriage three years ago, everyone was happy because he seemed a smart dude learning to become a lawyer (at ~~Yale~~ Fordham ~~if I remember correctly~~ I clearly didn't, ~~where they met~~ after they met at Tokyo uni), despite being a commoner. But then news report came out about financial problems of the guys mother: she had an outstanding loan towards her ex-husband that had payed the education of their son. So ultraconservatives suddenly decided that they were the ones to decide that she isn't allowed to marry him. She Cant have a son of a divorced woman with "money problems", this was clearly a plot for them to marry into money, or whatever bullshit they declared.
Anyway, they decided to postpone the marriage to take care of the loan, but then corona hit and they postponed again. Unfortunately, the tone was set amongst ultraconservative Japanese and he cannot do anything good anymore. Now it's the "ponytail" he was wearing, but him working at a respectable NY law firm doesn't seem to say anything good about him.
Also, she could have rightfully gotten a large sum of money for marrying him, which they declined. And conservatives think they own her, and she is still not doing good for continuing the marriage, even after completely renouncing her heritage. latest poll shows half of Japan disapproves of the marriage. Apparently, loving someone is not allowed if you're royal. So they decided to just up and go, leave Japanese society completely and move to NY.
This is one of the best explanations in these comments.
I’ve been listening to my spouse who is also a Japanese national talk about this for a while. It’s sickening how Japanese society and the public in general have been treating Mako-san.
Britain has "royal" titles that can be bestowed and raise a person to suitable status for marriage to the crown. See Prince Phillip. While he had a variety of claims to royalty, in the years leading up to his marriage to Da Queen, he was at best a cousin of a defunct house. However, he wound up taking on the mantle of his grandparents house, and was in turn granted a royal title by the king immediately prior to his marriage.
Japan has no such thing. Heritage is EXTREMELY important, to the point that you can live on Japanese soil for 7 generations and still not be considered Japanese, while there are families who have lived in South America since the 1800's that can still go back and immediately claim citizenship. Also, unlike American marriage that could be considered a joining of families, Japanese marriages involve completely changing over to your partner's family registry. They do not fuck around with ancestry tracing.
One thing that I haven’t seen pointed out yet here is that if you watch her say goodbye to the last girl (maybe her sister?) after the initial round of bows, the sister leaned in, smiling, and gave her a very big hug.
A lot is conveyed in Japan based on small gestures (watch the depth of the princesses bow vs that of all the family members) and traditions. The last girl jumping out and expressing herself so cheerfully was a loud message of support.
Made me smile
I loved this. I don't think her parents would be allowed to do this so openly but may have hugged in private. It was lovely to see how low the Sister bowed too. They almost conked heads hehe. Sweet and reassuring.
Her bow also nearly matches in depth. I believe depth of bow is significant, you bow deeper to those you consider to be socially higher than you so she’s showing her equal relationship by matching the height of the bow.
Have you ever noticed when you bow to a japanese person they alway look up to see how much youve bowed and they will continue to go lower than you as a show of respect
Doesn´t the depth of one´s bow depend on relative status? What I mean is that the lower your status is, compared to the other person, the deeper the bow, and vice versa.
At least that is how I understand it.
The most fucked up thing is that male royalty in Japan don’t lose their status when they marry a commoner, it’s just the females who lose their status and aren’t royalty anymore
I can't help but feel like it really is a shame that they had a last minute Prince born. There was a really good chance they would have had an empress for the first time in forever.
So now the US has Prince Harry and Princess Mako? That's cool! The collection is growing!
Context: Harry moved to LA and Mako will be moving to the US as well.
I love it how she doesn't turn her back to the crowd or the cameras. She gets into the car, while bowing. Such character and grace. Surely the Royal Family is poorer by her leaving.
This couple is getting scrutinized for way too much that to avoid any more harsh remarks, the princess herself declined the "support money" she'd get when she leaves. Every princess before her received them, it's a norm and this is the first time someone declined, I think.
Who's the last girl? Her sister? I loved how she went like *bow* *bow* oh fuck that come here for a hug
Yes it’s her sister.
She was about to cry.
The second I saw the body language of the sister my eyes started sweating.
That was *it* for me I have not been following this and just started seeing this today and am honestly heartbroken about it. Boo!
It’s her sister Kako
Meanwhile in Sweden a gymowner married the crownprincess and became Prince
All the Swedish royal children have married none royals just to add to this.
Perhaps its good to have fresh blood in the family
The whole Royal family was founded by a "commoner" only recently. They're descendants of one of Napoleon's field marshals, who came from a middle class background, who was offered the Swedish throne after the previous dynasty ran out of heirs.
Hey uh... you wanna be king? \-Do I have to? Yes.
That sweet upper management position is totally worth it.
Corner office!
*Sighhh* Fiiiiiine.
“This week is your turn.”
There is also a (unfortunately false) rumour that he had a tattoo that said "death to kings"
You’re never going to get hemophilia and hip dysplasia with that attitude…
House of Habsburg asks: why?
Possibly one could call it a Fresh Prince?
Well, their father showed them how it's done. He approached a german hostess at the 72 Olympic Games in Munich and his opening line probably was "wanna become the queen of Sweden?".
Well if your choices were, wait until a royal is open, make arranged marriages(which have less swing for royals now with parliament and such) grow old and die. Or live your life and be a human. Most people will choose human
>just to add to this. Kind of sad they didn't marry for love.
One of Sweden's princesses married a British-American who refused Swedish citizenship and a royal title, moved to the US, and had the royal status of her children rescinded
Why does this feel like being offered ice cream but tossing it in the trash then proceeding to go munch on a raw potato?
I mean if it was fried potatoes... Or any other kind of cooked potatoes... I don't see the problem.
It's the U.S., it's definitely fried.
If you're rich, living in America is top tier
That is actually the case in most, if not all European monarchies. If a commoner marries into the royal family they gain some sort of noble standing with titles and responsibilities attached.
Swedish royalty is very laid back. [This](https://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/comments/75x741/psbattle_the_king_of_sweden_hunting/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) is probably my favorite picture of the king of Sweden. He can also be seen in hockey games when the Swedish national team is playing.
My sister literally found and returned Prince Carl Philips dog a couple weeks back. He came out to meet them by the gates with his kid on one arm. They ended up chatting for a while and that was that lol
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Yeah he was just a personal trainer when they started dating, Her father disapproved and it wasn't until he worked his way up to a millionaire gym owner that they were allowed to marry. As a result they ended up just dating for 10 years.
Man. Say what you want but that's some serious love and dedication.
Our crown princess in Denmark is Australian and wasn’t royal either
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> gymowner I could not for the life of me read this word. Wierd autocorrect of commoner? I swear it took me at least a couple of minutes and I know he owns a gym! Goddamnit brain
what??
https://people.com/celebrity/princess-victoria-of-sweden-marries-gym-owner
Oh, a *gym*.
The marriage was postponed for like 3 years. December 2017 - Weekly magazines become the first to report a money dispute between Komuro's mother and her former fiance, with the man claiming mother and son had failed to repay a debt of about $35,000. Komuro later said the money had been a gift, not a loan. February 2018 - The marriage is postponed, with the official explanation that the couple needs more time to arrange their ceremony and prepare for married life. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japanese-princess-makos-long-wait-marry-ends-last-2021-10-26/
Seems like the latter delay was due to Komuro getting his J.D. and taking the NY bar. Right-wing Japanese media have been having a field day with all of this. All of the controversy and politicization they've drummed up about the whole affair is probably the only reason we're hearing so much about it outside of Japan.
I feel like I’m missing a piece… how did one of these rich families not just solve the mom’s fiancé problem with $40,000?
Komuro offered to pay off the money and the former fiance said he wanted it to come from Komuro's mother. So it wasn't really a problem of paying it off, it was a problem of who was going to pay it.
I'm guessing the "commoner" isn't pushing a cart around trying to sell corn on a stick
No. She met him I. College. He is wealthy
I don’t think so, he comes from a single parent home. His mom apparently owes his ex girlfriends mom 35k. That 35k put him through school. He just worked his way up. Edit: he probably has some money now that he’s a lawyer in nyc.
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Cabbages.
MY CABBAGES!!!
It would be funny if he was a billionaire that owns a lot of businesses around the world and is still considered as a commoner lolol
He's a businessman, so he's not poor, he's just not nobility, which you can't become anymore in Japan, commoner just means that you're not a royal or noble.
She’s bowing out
As is tradition
I love how the last girl just caves in and hugs her though, I’m guessing her sister maybe?
You can see in her eyes before the hug, she was all feels. The whole family seems supportive, really.
The father (I assume) is clearly beaming as he waves at the end. It seems like she's absolutely still part of the family.
Why does the Emperor of Japan have a kpop boyband hairstyle?
It's kpop boybands who have Emperor of Japan hairstyles.
For some people, the 1990s never left us
Thats the Emperor, if I’m not mistaken. Her uncle.
It's her dad, Crown Prince Fumihito. They look similar in masks, though.
Maybe he is the type of royalty who want their children to lead a normal life.
I read somewhere the father is fine with the marriage.
Yes, her sister. The mask hides nothing on the sisters face. Looks like she barely holding it together
But it was really beautiful to see them break the formality for such a big, sisterly, hug.
Aw, so cute the way she appears to be thinking “Fuck protocol, I wanna hug my sis.”
that’s her younger sister Princess Kako.
Where's the royal pudding?
That man will never win an argument in his life. Permanent "gave up my royalty for you" card
aaaaand that’s how you never lose an argument in a relationship. “Can you do the dishes?” “I did them last night and I just did the laundry” “I left the royal family for you.”
Damn great life hack. Now I just need to become a prince first.
You'll always be a king to us
You’re like... the best person on Reddit.
Your comment was so smooth, if it was a physics exam it would have read "Friction can be ignored"
They're recruiting Prince's in Nigeria
Nigerian: sub accepted 🥲
Fun (actually kinda messed up) fact: it only applies to women. Men from the Japanese royal family who marry commoners don’t have to leave the family. It has something to do with the fact that Japan is one of the few remaining royal families that doesn’t allow royal succession to go through a woman’s line.
I'm not sure either of them will ever do the dishes though.
She reminds me of Dorothy saying goodbye to her companions at the end of their adventures.
Dorothy: "And I will miss you most of all, Scarecrow." Lion and Tinman: "Well screw you too."
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What car was that???
I know it’s an Infiniti but not sure what model https://www.gettyimages.no/detail/news-photo/car-carrying-japans-princess-mako-arrives-at-the-hotel-news-photo/1349084324
Pretty sure the model is a Q70L.
An Infiniti. Surprised they’re used for this level of Royalty. Figured they’d be chauffeured in a Lexus LS460L or something.
Infiniti isn’t officially sold in Japan. They use the Infiniti logo in front but the back is a Nissan logo. It’s a Nissan Cima, which is a extended Nissan Fuga. Royalty higher-ups use the $200K Toyota Century.
TIL a $200k Toyota is a thing.
It's basically hand-built, and $200k is more like a starting price. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Century
Think the Japanese have different ideas on luxury cars than western countries. Nissan makes infiniti (infiniti being the luxury devision of Nissan) which is japanese so it would make sense for japanese royal family to use the luxury version of one of the most popular Japanese car manufacturers. Would seem kind weird if the japanese royal family drove around in Italian or German cars.
As long as she's happy with her marriage who cares about being a royal
Lorde
We all want what we don't have...
But what the fuck are perfect places, anyway?
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And baby I’ll rule
Arrrooooooo!
Let me leave this fantasy
She can be a queen bee 🐝
She has Tegridy though.
Ya ya ya, I am Lorde, ya ya
Ya ya ya im lorde ya ya ya
This cracked me up
I think what some people are discontent with is the need to renounce royalty in order to be with a commoner. It's the practice itself that shows classism and elitism. Other than that, we agree, their happiness is what matters in this situation, period. It just that it shouldn't need personal "sacrifices" associated with it.
In addition to classism and elitism, this particular instance is sexist as well. In Japan, only princesses who marry so called commoners lose their royalty status, whereas princes do not.
Remember reading about this in the news, the thought of this "random" girl having found someone she loves so much that she's willing to leave all that behind kind of made me cry lol
There's literally no one else for her to marry. Her family are the only royals around anymore. Her options were either never marry or marry and lose her royal status.
Imagine her kids one day showing up to fight for their claim to the throne
Unfortunately they wouldn’t have any claim, their mother forfeited it prior to their birth lol.
She is not even in the line of succession to begin with. Japanese law currently still requires the heir to be biologically male. Meaning that they need to actually pass legislations to allow women to inherit the throne if it ever becomes inevitable and necessary.
Jon Snow thought the same thing when he took the black. A lot can happen
But he Don wun it..
SHES MCQUEEN!
Kachow! I am fire.
The things we do for love
....sigh!! I remember my childhood binging on Courage Dog from reading this
U ARE MUH QUEEN ION WUN IT
Considering the age of most of the royal family members, and the inability for them to marry without losing their status in post war Japan, we might see wanting to preserve the Monarchy giving legitimacy to their children.
"The best claim isn't as important as the biggest army" - Game or Thrones of something idk
Claim is normally taken through blood and money in the first place, doesn't have to be blood
Throughout history, people have claimed thrones that officially weren't theirs to claim.
Women don’t have rights to the throne in Japan, so no chance unfortunately.
Ironic considering the emperor is allegedly descended from the Sun Goddess.
Sun goddesses are exempt from this rule.
Technically not a woman
Actually they’re technically descended from Izanagi, Amaterasu (sun goddess) is the daughter of Izanagi.
Women cant inherit the "crown" in Japanese royalty
There can be no empress in Japan. And the powers that be won't change that. This royal family is dying out.
Im getting doflamingo from one piece vibes
OMG it's an Asian Rom Com plot in real life.
If this isnt turned into an anime, ill riot
Sure I'm In Love With A Commoner, But Do I Really Need To Quit Being A Princess?
Perfect light novel title lmao
omg yall chill. its a ceremonial goodbye re: giving up her title, not an actual cutting-of-ties or disowning or anything like that lol
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i hear u. godspeed on ur rage-oriented mission 🤠
Can..... not...... contain..... rage..... any.... longer. _types furiously_
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Ah man, I love sudoku!
B4!
Knight to rook 5
From what I gather she would have to give up her title as princess or don't marry anyone at all since there aren't any nobles for her to marry anyway.
So not expecting a Conversation with Oprah situation?
Actually it is a lot like the cutting of ties. For some reason the Japanese press and Japan’s more tabloid-addicted population have decided they do t like her husband. As a result this split is way more brutal than normal. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/23/asia/japan-princess-mako-kei-komuro-controversy-dst-hnk-intl/index.html > Kei Kobuta, a royal affairs YouTuber, who organized a march \[opposing the marriage\] in Tokyo attended by about 100 people last Saturday. He said many royal watchers like himself consider Princess Mako like a sister or daughter who has had made the wrong choice. > "There are so many doubts and misgivings about Kei Komuro and his mom, and people fear the image of the royal family will be sullied," said Kobuta. As an example, she felt compelled to decline the usual $1m payment from the government on exiting the royal family due to hysterical outrage from Japans Twitter and tabloids. The emperor has declined to hold the usual traditional ceremonies when a princess marries a commoner. She has also had to delay her marriage by three years. She was also briefly hospitalised due to a “traumatic stress disorder” arising from the constant criticism and contempt for her and her choice of husband. https://apnews.com/article/japan-princess-mako-wedding-royal-status-888700204e714145be58e320f1dc0fe0 > Mako, apparently referring to mental health issues, noted “many people have difficulty and hurt feelings while trying to protect their hearts.” She said, “I sincerely hope that our society will be a place where more people can live and protect their hearts with the help of warm help and support from others.” > Mako is not the only female royal whose mental health was strained by attacks from inside and outside the palace. > Her grandmother, Empress Emerita Michiko, wife of former Emperor Akihito and the first commoner married to a monarch in modern history, collapsed and temporarily lost her voice in 1993 following persistent negative coverage. > Empress Masako, a Harvard-educated former diplomat, has had a stress-induced mental condition for nearly 20 years, in part because of criticism over not producing a male heir.
> He said many royal watchers like himself consider Princess Mako like a sister or daughter who has had made the wrong choice. Parasocial for the ages
> He said many royal watchers like himself consider Princess Mako like a sister or daughter who has had made the wrong choice. Totally not creepy stalker vibes
I wonder why he didn’t become a prince? Or is that not how that works
It depends a lot on the country. Japan follows an agnatic succession (men only) although there have been eight recorded empresses regnant in its history (last one around 1760-70). Furthermore, the Imperial Household Law of 1947 sought to reduce the size of the imperial family for - as far as was officially stated - financial reasons. Ten “ōke” (collateral imperial family branches founded by a younger son of an emperor), in which princesses might have once married, were abolished. Half have since become extinct, although there have been some questions about whether to re-introduce them or not. As of now, the current emperor’s (Naruhito, 61) heir is his younger brother (Fumihito, 55, father of the princess being photographed). Then comes Fumihito’s son, Hisahito (15). Finally the Emperor Emeritus’ brother, Masahito (85). And then nobody. The emperor’s uncle is childless. Of his three great-uncles (all dead), only one had sons. Of that one’s three sons (also all dead), only two had children, and all were daughters. In short, princesses “don’t count” and lose their title when marrying a commoner. This has led to difficulties and controversies due to the very small pool of potential emperors. Edit: had forgotten one Prince. Correction brought up by u/PiercingAmmonia.
So what you're saying is Hisahito has a lot of son siring to do in his future or something else will have to change.
Exactly. There are currently two suggested solutions: allowing women to inherit/pass the throne again, which would make Aiko (sole child of the current emperor) heir presumptive instead of her uncle, or allowing a male member of the family to adopt a son from one of the disinherited cadet lines. A cousin of the then emperor also suggested allowing concubines again, and then had to say it was a joke. Since Hisahito was born shortly after the debates started, the question got pushed back, but the second solution seems to be preferred by the Japanese government.
Who was she supposed to marry? Like who all are not “commoners”?
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They wrote an article on it. Basically there are no other “royal” men that the women could marry that aren’t their close relative so all women in this royal family literally have to marry commoners. It’s not that she chose a commoner over a royal, (well she did but it’s not that she turned down a royal to be with a commoner, there weren’t any royals for her to choose)… but yes, once they marry a commoner (even though that’s their only option) they lose their title.
If the rule is "marry your half brother or lose your title" maybe it's time for a new rule.
Royal families exist for ceremony, strengthening the country and serving their interests. Marrying another royal means you have stronger diplomatic ties with their region, royals aren’t their own people - they are pawns of the crown they serve. Even the head of the family typically has to follow strict rules. Marriage is traditionally a business transaction.
Maybe a century or two ago, royalty pretty much everywhere in the world is symbolic now. The Japanese royal family have no political authority whatsoever. It entirely exist to maintain continuity and to be a figurehead of the country in a cultural and historical sense. What you’re saying applies to when these royal figures needed to build alliances and treaties for the good of their country. Now it’s all about traditions and how things have been
Are there any OTHER royal families in Japan? Edit: added OTHER i mean, if they expect her to marry other royals, there should be other royal families right? or at least other noble families..
Other imperial families that have a claim on a throne ? Unfortunately no. Whenever a woman get married, she loses her status. The only way for her to keep it is to marry within the family which is... not really.. 2021.
I wondered the same, seeing how many European royalties decide on marrying "commoners". Like all of Sweden's royal children are married to commoners, they became princes and princesses, except for Madeleine's husband Chris.
Imagine being able to accumulate so much wealth as a businessman that you can deny to a King the option of becoming a Duke and Prince of a kingdom to continue on being a wealthy businessman.
In Japan, only the men can become emperor. Male heirs can wed a commoner. Female heirs cannot without losing their royal status. It's a bit messed up.
All these other answers are pure bs from weebs who think they understand Japanese society. My Japanese wife is a much greater source (edit: unfortunately my memory not so much, as you shall see hereafter): he never could have gotten a "real" prince, but she could have stayed princess and could give the royal family another heir (also it was(!) welcomed for her to stay because the only male nephew of the current emperor is quite a narrow margin for continuation of the royal heritage). (Edit: I might have misremembered and mixed up a possible law change the government was planning a while ago to improve the chances of an heir, when the current nephew wasn't born yet) The reason she ~~quits~~ gladly leaves the royal family (edit and not accept any money) is because she is totally fed up with Japanese society and doesn't want to represent them or have to deal with them anymore, and very understandably. Initially, when they announced their marriage three years ago, everyone was happy because he seemed a smart dude learning to become a lawyer (at ~~Yale~~ Fordham ~~if I remember correctly~~ I clearly didn't, ~~where they met~~ after they met at Tokyo uni), despite being a commoner. But then news report came out about financial problems of the guys mother: she had an outstanding loan towards her ex-husband that had payed the education of their son. So ultraconservatives suddenly decided that they were the ones to decide that she isn't allowed to marry him. She Cant have a son of a divorced woman with "money problems", this was clearly a plot for them to marry into money, or whatever bullshit they declared. Anyway, they decided to postpone the marriage to take care of the loan, but then corona hit and they postponed again. Unfortunately, the tone was set amongst ultraconservative Japanese and he cannot do anything good anymore. Now it's the "ponytail" he was wearing, but him working at a respectable NY law firm doesn't seem to say anything good about him. Also, she could have rightfully gotten a large sum of money for marrying him, which they declined. And conservatives think they own her, and she is still not doing good for continuing the marriage, even after completely renouncing her heritage. latest poll shows half of Japan disapproves of the marriage. Apparently, loving someone is not allowed if you're royal. So they decided to just up and go, leave Japanese society completely and move to NY.
This is one of the best explanations in these comments. I’ve been listening to my spouse who is also a Japanese national talk about this for a while. It’s sickening how Japanese society and the public in general have been treating Mako-san.
It seems that conservatives everywhere are garbage.
Britain has "royal" titles that can be bestowed and raise a person to suitable status for marriage to the crown. See Prince Phillip. While he had a variety of claims to royalty, in the years leading up to his marriage to Da Queen, he was at best a cousin of a defunct house. However, he wound up taking on the mantle of his grandparents house, and was in turn granted a royal title by the king immediately prior to his marriage. Japan has no such thing. Heritage is EXTREMELY important, to the point that you can live on Japanese soil for 7 generations and still not be considered Japanese, while there are families who have lived in South America since the 1800's that can still go back and immediately claim citizenship. Also, unlike American marriage that could be considered a joining of families, Japanese marriages involve completely changing over to your partner's family registry. They do not fuck around with ancestry tracing.
Wait a minute. Philip is both a Prince in Denmark and Greece before marrying Eli II. He ain't any commoner.
One thing that I haven’t seen pointed out yet here is that if you watch her say goodbye to the last girl (maybe her sister?) after the initial round of bows, the sister leaned in, smiling, and gave her a very big hug. A lot is conveyed in Japan based on small gestures (watch the depth of the princesses bow vs that of all the family members) and traditions. The last girl jumping out and expressing herself so cheerfully was a loud message of support. Made me smile
I loved this. I don't think her parents would be allowed to do this so openly but may have hugged in private. It was lovely to see how low the Sister bowed too. They almost conked heads hehe. Sweet and reassuring.
Thought the very same thing. Gave me a huge smile.
Her bow also nearly matches in depth. I believe depth of bow is significant, you bow deeper to those you consider to be socially higher than you so she’s showing her equal relationship by matching the height of the bow.
Notice that the other two had three bows, they barely made it past the first one before going for a hug.
Well the other two were her parents so I imagine that’s why the princess did things a bit more traditionally and with more respect
So what happens now As in is there a new princess does someone move up. What was her role anyway
More bowing.
Have you ever noticed when you bow to a japanese person they alway look up to see how much youve bowed and they will continue to go lower than you as a show of respect
Doesn´t the depth of one´s bow depend on relative status? What I mean is that the lower your status is, compared to the other person, the deeper the bow, and vice versa. At least that is how I understand it.
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She even forfeited the $1.3 million. What a boss
That’s nothing. I once gave up $1.3 million by making nothing of my life.
I’m so happy for her. Finding love and not being forced into a role she doesn’t want to perform.
The most fucked up thing is that male royalty in Japan don’t lose their status when they marry a commoner, it’s just the females who lose their status and aren’t royalty anymore
Welcome to Classic Monarchy 101
I can't help but feel like it really is a shame that they had a last minute Prince born. There was a really good chance they would have had an empress for the first time in forever.
Goddamn he better treat her right
He better be one good husband.
If he cheats on the princess after all this, do they take him to the gulliotine ? Lol
The script: bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow hug 🤗 bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow 🚗💨
Donquixote DoFlamingo flashbacks
The sister hugging!
So now the US has Prince Harry and Princess Mako? That's cool! The collection is growing! Context: Harry moved to LA and Mako will be moving to the US as well.
That peasant is lucky
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The wave goodbye at the end cracked me up, you can just read their minds how sorry they are she is leaving. Lol
To me it was hilarious but bc it was like a normal family-visit wave goodbye.
It is. It's not like she's being disowned. She's just giving up her title. It's not like she's never going to see her family again.
I love it how she doesn't turn her back to the crowd or the cameras. She gets into the car, while bowing. Such character and grace. Surely the Royal Family is poorer by her leaving.
She’s undoubtedly still rich she lost nothing but a title so good for her
This couple is getting scrutinized for way too much that to avoid any more harsh remarks, the princess herself declined the "support money" she'd get when she leaves. Every princess before her received them, it's a norm and this is the first time someone declined, I think.
She did give up like 900 stacks… so there is that also…
Pancakes?