Princess Mako's Controversial Wedding to Commoner

Japan’s Princess Mako and her new husband are preparing to move into a rented one-bedroom apartment in New York City after she was forced to give up her royal title in order to marry her commoner college sweetheart.

The 30-year-old, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and niece of Emperor Naruhito, quietly tied the knot with Kei Komuro, 30, on Tuesday after their wedding was delayed several years following intense scrutiny.

Following their nuptials, the couple moved into a condo in Tokyo but are planning to permanently relocate to the Big Apple, according to Japanese media outlets.

It is unclear exactly where in Gotham the couple plan to rent.



Mako’s husband has a job at a law firm after sitting the New York bar exam back in July.

The former princess is in the process of securing a visa so she can also work in the US, NHK reports.

The newlyweds will be financially independent after Mako turned down a $1.23 million payment that she was entitled to upon leaving the royal family.

She is the first imperial family member since World War II to not take the payment, saying she chose not to do so because of the criticism surrounding her marriage.



The couple did not have a formal wedding ceremony or reception — and instead opted to wed by filing an official legal document.

They held a press conference shortly after during which Mako said: “For me, Kei-san is a priceless person. For us, our marriage was a necessary choice to live while cherishing our hearts.”

Komuro responded: “I love Mako. I live only once and I want to spend it with someone I love.”

“I hope to have a warm family with Mako-san, and I will continue to do everything to support her,” he added.

The couple first met at Tokyo’s International Christian University before they announced their engagement in 2017. They had initially planned to marry the following year but it was delayed when financial issues with Komuro’s mother surfaced.

Mako’s mother-in-law had previously received money from an ex-fiance but a financial dispute later broke out over whether it was a gift or loan.

The princess developed post-traumatic stress disorder over the negative media attention surrounding her relationship, palace doctors said.

Former princess Mako Komuro and her husband are planning to leave Japan for New York on Sunday, a source familiar with the matter said Friday.



The newlywed couple, both 30, are scheduled to depart from Haneda airport in Tokyo to start their new life in New York, where Kei Komuro works as a law clerk at a legal firm after graduating from Fordham University's law school with a Juris Doctor degree in May.

The Komuros have already secured a place to live in the U.S. city, according to the source.

It was originally planned that Komuro would travel to the United States first due to work commitments and the former princess, who left the imperial family upon marrying a commoner, would join him later after obtaining a passport.

But the husband's stay in Japan was prolonged after former princess Mako's grandfather and Crown Princess Kiko's father, Tatsuhiko Kawashima, a professor emeritus at Gakushuin University, died last week and the couple attended his family funeral Saturday.



The eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito married her boyfriend on Oct. 26 after years of controversy over a financial dispute involving his mother and her former fiance that led the couple to forgo traditional ceremonies associated with a royal marriage.

A lawyer representing Komuro told reporters Friday night that the former fiance of Komuro's mother had agreed to receive settlement money in a meeting with Komuro the same day.

Komuro had proposed making a settlement payment, but the man had asked to meet with his mother, a request she refused citing her mental health condition.

"We have reached a conclusion that (the former fiance) will accept the settlement money," the lawyer said, but quoted the man as saying he cannot yet say if the dispute is settled.