Japan's Princess Mako Gave Up Her Title To Marry A Commoner Because He's 'Irreplaceable'
The newlyweds are being called "Japan's Harry and Meghan."
Japan's now-former Princess Mako had a bit of a stressful wedding day.
The 30-year-old married her college sweetheart early Tuesday morning, surrendered her imperial title and then went on TV to defend her marriage to a country of some 125 million people.
That's not something you'd typically have on your wedding day schedule, but this was no typical wedding. Mako had to give up being a princess because she was marrying a commoner, and many in Japan did not approve of her choice.
Mako and her new husband, Kei Komuro, have been an obsession for Japanese tabloids over the last four years, dating back to when they got engaged in 2017.
Their marriage was delayed following claims of Komuro's mother having money issues, including an ongoing financial dispute with an ex-boyfriend.
Nevertheless, Mako insisted on the marriage and pushed through some intense mental and physical stress to pull it off on Tuesday, according to reports.
Then they went on TV to explain themselves.
"For me, Kei is irreplaceable," Mako said at the press conference. "Marriage was a necessary choice for us."
Komuro added that the marriage was worth all the unwanted attention and stress.
"I love Mako," he said. "We only get one life, and I want us to spend it with the one we love."
Mako has been dealing with PTSD amid all the media attention and protests against her marriage, according to the Imperial Household Agency, which represents the Emperor's family.
The wedding itself was a low-key affair, and Mako declined the nearly $1.4 million gift that the Imperial Household typically hands out on these occasions, the AFP reports.
The couple has been compared to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who gave up their royal duties and left the U.K. for the U.S. to escape the media.
Mako and Komuro will also be moving to the U.S., with plans to settle in New York, where Komuro works.
The former princess will now be known as Mako Komuro because women in the Imperial Household must give up their title to marry a commoner.