Japan’s Princess Mako is set to lose her royal status in order to marry her college boyfriend.
Emperor Akihito’s oldest grandchild, Princess Mako, has made the announcement that she will marry a university classmate.
Kei Komuro, 25, began a relationship with Princess Mako when she sat behind him at a campus meeting five years ago at Tokyo’s International Christian University.
“I’ve been aware since my childhood that I would lose royal status once I married,” Mako said at a news conference, according to the BBC. “While I’ve worked to help the emperor and fulfill duties as a royal family member as much as I can, I’ve been cherishing my own life.”
“First I was attracted by his bright smiles like the sun,” Mako added.
Although Mako was considered as royalty in Japan, the princess was not in to the throne. The 1947 succession law states that only men from her family can become emperors.
Emperor Akihto, 83, will abdicated in lat 2018 and will be succeeded by his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito.
Mako is the eldest child of Prince Fumihito (Prince Akishino), who is next in line to the throne after Naruhito. Currently, Mako is pursuing a doctorate and works as a museum researcher, according to the BBC.
The wedding is scheduled to take place next year.
