Japan’s Princess Mako Marries ‘Commoner’ Boyfriend Years After ‘Pain’ Of Rumours

Japan’s Princess Mako has finally married her college sweetheart Kei Komuro.

The couple who had a low-key union bereft of traditional rituals voiced their sadness over the controversy that haunted their engagement.

Emperor Naruhito’s 30-year-old niece Mako lost her royal status after she wedded Kei Komuro, who is the same age and works for a US law firm.

Under Japanese law, female imperial family members can lose their royal status when they marry a ‘commoner’, a law that is only applicable to the female children.

“To me, Kei is irreplaceable. Our marriage is a necessary step for us to be able to protect our hearts,” she told reporters after the marriage was registered.

“I have been scared, feeling sadness and pain whenever one-sided rumours turn into groundless stories,” she added as the newlyweds read out rehearsed statements in a soberly decorated hotel function room.

Since announcing their engagement in 2017, the couple has faced tabloid scandals and vicious online sniping over allegations that Komuro’s family had run into financial difficulties.

After much delay, they finally tied the knot with no wedding ceremony, reception banquet, or any of the usual rites — opting to do so privately, away from a public that has not always been kind.