Princess Mako Marries & Loses Royal Status

[SnottyLottie]

Princess Mako of Japan had married Kei Komuro. As Kei is considered a commoner, Mako has now lost her royal status due to the Imperial Household law. She is the current Emperor’s niece but will be the sister of the next Emperor (despite the Emperor already having a daughter, as females are not allowed to inherit the throne). She has also turned down an offer of money that is usually paid to royal females on their departure from the royal family to help them in their new life.

It has been reported that Princess Mako has been suffering from mental health problems and PTSD due to the negative attention she has received from the press over her engagement to Kei (whose mother is involved in a financial dispute scandal).

What a sad story and it sounds very similar to issues going on in the British royal family.

I don't see any way in which it remotely resembles anything going on in the British royal family...? Are you talking about the Sussexes' departure? That seems a very different situation to me.

I find it an interesting story. Just goes to show how brutal the press and public can be in other countries too.

This article explains the situation well.

www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/world/asia/japan-royal-wedding-princess-mako.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

I dont think it remotely resembles anything thst is going on in the British roysl family. I take it she hasnt been appearing on Oprah and doing deals with Netflix.

@Clandestin

I don't see any way in which it remotely resembles anything going on in the British royal family...? Are you talking about the Sussexes' departure? That seems a very different situation to me.

Margaret, Diana, Fergie, Meghan etc etc, on and on and never ending. The media were vile about Kate too, until she produced a suitable heir and presumably instructions were given to now leave her alone.

This "backing off" never happened for Meghan though, and it in fact got worse after Archie was born. Presumably, he was not considered sufficiently suitable for his mother (and he) to be left in peace.

We take our royal women, and women who marry in, and we hound them until they break - encouraged by the activities of long serving courtiers working in the background. In that respect, we really aren't different to the Japanese royal situation at all.

@Clandestin in respect to members of both royal families suffering from bad mental health due to intense negative media attention

Yes agree Pics. The only difference is now we allow female heirs to the throne but that was relatively recent.

BBC Article

The BBC piece says that: 'The excessive press coverage as well as the relentless attacks on social media have had an impact on Ms Mako's mental health, and she is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Imperial Household Agency' I would think the comparisons with Meghan Markle were pretty obvious?

The article also states 'The couple are expected to move to the US, where Mr Komuro works as a lawyer. The move has drawn comparisons with British royals Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, earning the newlyweds the nickname "Japan's Harry and Meghan".'.

Some posters may not like the Harry & Meghan comparison, but that is how much of the world sees it - an infexible and draconian Royal Family backed up by a cruel and instrusive press.

I certainly think the toxic press and unbending public opinion is similar. The Japanese RF sounds even more draconian than ours!

Very brave for them to make that move.

The part about them not accepting the money they are entitled to also reminds me of the Sussex’s want for financial independence. Both have been accused of wasting tax payers money. Mako and Kei actually paid for the press conference themselves because of these comments on social media. Harry and Meghan paid back money for the Frogmore Cottage renovations because of similar comments.

Living in Ireland, in a republic, I find the notion of royalty completely and utterly outdated.

We have a President, who is elected by a democratic majority of the people to represent all of the people, who will serve a single term of 7 years or a maximum of 14 years if re-elected for a second term. The current President (Michael) has followed in the lead of his two immediate predecessors (fantastic women, both called Mary and both former Reid Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin) and taken on a more public role - as in more accessibility to the general public and not just rolled out for for formal state occasions. They have the option for retirement from public eye afterwards, though the 2 Marys remain active in international roles. Previous presidents have retired into relative obscurity, which is their absolute right.

Despite coming from different political backgrounds these presidents have earned the universal love of the public. Their spouses have played significant roles but this is not implied. Their families have largely been almost anonymous. Unless you know him personally, I doubt you could name any of the current incumbent's children, or grandchildren, or siblings/nieces/nephews/parents/aunts/uncles and rightly so, these people can live like any normal citizen of the state, earning their own living, going to a normal school/university. We do, however, know about his Bernese Mountain Dogs. He is a poet and we love his words of wisdom and comfort and inspiration. We respect that he did not come from a privileged background himself.

One house is provided, it's pretty grand and the setting is magnificent, but he works from home and entertains for work there, including garden parties for those who never dreamed they'd be invited. No-one is bothered that the President, or his or her spouse, may have worn the same outfit previously. There are no Crown Jewels either. No title to pass father to son or daughter. No concept of a "golden family" to be bowed and scraped to, no barmy idea that the eldest son/daughter or any other child would inherit a title ad infinitum.

@SageRosemary this sounds far preferable to what we have!

[quote forfucksakenett]@SageRosemary this sounds far preferable to what we have! [/quote]
It is. And the salary is the same as the highest grade of civil servant. And no need to be a politician to be a presidential candidate — all you have to be is 35 or older and a citizen.

@SageRosemary

I envy you and your Irish President. I wish we could be like that.

But it would take literally decades to unravel what we have here and it won't be happening in my lifetime. The best I can hope for is a serious slimming down to the point of barely noticing we have a RF. Just my opinion, no need for anyone to jump on me for that

@Roussette if we were brave enough we could just rip the plaster off.

The only difference is now we allow female heirs to the throne but that was relatively recent.

That isn't quite true. Female heirs have always been allowed - we have a queen (who is the second Queen Elizabeth).

It is only recent that younger male heirs haven't bumped them down the order and taken precedence though.

@forfucksakenett

Yes, we could but it just isn't going to happen is it... there's too many with vested interests in keeping a RF. HoL and peers etc.

In Japanese and many other Asian cultures, social acceptance and public opinion is much more important than is considered healthy in the UK or US. Deciding to go against it would be correspondingly more difficult. But the bottom line is that you can't control anyone's else's opinion about anything, no matter how ridiculous or unfair, and it's up to every individual to decide how much of an impact they want to allow those opinions to have on their lives.

The footage of Mako saying goodbye to her parents and sister was very sad. I hope that's just about them moving to the US so they won't see as much of one another, rather than any more permanent farewell.

Doesn't seem very similar to the Sussexes to me. Japan's rules say marry a commoner and you're out full stop. Nothing like that here, although whether royal life suits you once you've married in is another thing. Mako has also turned down her exit payment, unlike Harry who seemed to expect continuing funding and got very cross about being 'financially cut off' in spite of his £10m in the bank and being perfectly capable of earning his own living.

I knew without doubt this thread would turn into a chance to have a poke at Harry and Meghan. And yes, they are earning their own living so you can rest easy there.

I found it sad... the embrace between the two sisters was poignant because it's normally so formal.

I don't follow Japanese royalty much, but Princess Mako is the Emperor's niece, so a bit like Lady Chatto and Earl of Snowdon. Big difference being that the male heirs are on her side of the family - her father is the emperor's brother, then there is her little brother who, if rules don't change could be future emperor.

Like Chatto and Snowdon, I believe she has a regular job at an a museum. Does she do royal visits, tours etc.? If she did and loved that kind of work, it would be more depressing for her to change and not get involved.

Unlike H&M who were senior working royals and had a different role to play, so are carrying on with that line of work, which they happened to be good in and liked. So it makes sense for them to do that even when they left the rf. So I don't see how they are not going to make news. Also did the princess have nazis arrested for real threats, so she need that much money for security?

It does sound as if the Japanese media are not hands off men, like the British media who seem to not have a negative word to say about men who marry into the rf. Even though the 'complaints' about Komuro are paper thin petty.

It’s a sad story really, with the effect it’s had on her at what should be a happy time, although hopefully now they’re out she will recover. Apparently one of the complaints about Komuro was that he had a ‘disrespectful’ ponytail when he went to meet her family Can’t think what that reminds me of, and I don’t even much like H&M… but I don’t like what certain elements of the British press did, either.

Japan's male-only system was designed for an age of concubinage, when male Imperial Family members left so many children that requiring 100% male-only succession worked just fine.

Since concubinage was abolished, of course it's created a bit of a quandary. The number of members of the Imperial Family has declined drastically since WWII, and the only reason there is a male heir ready to take over at all is because his mum (Mako-sama's mum) finally had a last-minute baby at 40, after a 12-year gap.

@SageRosemary. Its great that you're happy with your electoral system. But no disrespect to your president, Michael, but not many people outside Ireland knows who he is. Ireland might unanimously love him but the rest of the world would go...who? Everyone knows who the Queen is. Leaders come to the UK specifically to meet the Queen and they get excited about it. In fact, the Queen not going to COP26 left reporters wondering if all leaders will show up. Such is the status of the Queen.