Princess Mako, niece of the 61 year old Japanese Emperor Naruhito, is getting married to her longtime boyfriend, Kei Komuro. There is an imperial law in Japan that strips the royal status of women after marriage. The Princess will therefore exit the family leaving behind only 12 women and 5 men.
Princess Mako is said to have turned down a 152.5 million yen ($1.3 million) dowry that is traditionally awarded to women in the royal family when they get married.
There were 67 members of Japan’s royal family after World War II. Now there are only 17. Japan is one of the modern monarchies that only allows succession to men- Saudi Arabia, Oman and Morocco being the other monarchies.
In 2006, a legislation to allow female heirs to inherit the throne was shelved after the birth of Prince Hisahito, the first male child in almost four decades.
After the wedding, the newlyweds plan to live in the US without any financial support from the royal family.
