Princess Aiko with her pet dog Yuri: if the 20 year old decides to marry, she’ll be forced to leave the royal family. Photo: AFP
Is Japan’s Princess Aiko destined for the same fate as Princess Mako? The only child of the emperor coming of age highlights the big problem with the imperial family – it’s shrinking
- Just turned 20, Princess Aiko is the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, but as a woman, she will never ascend the Chrysanthemum throne
- And if she marries a commoner like Princess Mako, the law will force her to renounce her title and role in the family entirely – so is it time things changed?
Princess Aiko with her pet dog Yuri: if the 20 year old decides to marry, she’ll be forced to leave the royal family. Photo: AFP