Japan’s Imperial Household has denied speculation that the postponement of Princess Mako’s wedding was due to tabloid reports of a row over money in her fiancé’s family.
J apan’s Imperial Household has denied speculation that the postponement of Princess Mako’s wedding was due to tabloid reports of a row over money in her fiancé’s family.
The Emperor’s granddaughter was due to marry her college sweetheart Kei Komuro, a 26-year-old paralegal, in a high-profile wedding in November afte r announcing their engagement last year .
However, the nuptials were postponed this week with the Imperial Household Agency citing “a series of important ceremonies next year”, in apparent reference to the planned abdication of the Emperor and the handover of power to his son.
The abrupt announcement came as something of a surprise in Japan, less than a month before a traditional betrothal ceremony was scheduled to formalise the engagement and pave the way to the wedding .
However, a series of weekly magazine reports focusing on Mr Komuro and his family would most likely have created an uncomfortable backdrop to wedding preparations in recent weeks.
The reports focus on a row surrounding claims that Mr Komuro’s mother – with whom he still lives in Yokohama – allegedly failed to repay her former partner more than 4 million yen (£26,200) which she apparently borrowed to cover her son’s university fees.
H owever, Takaharu Kachi, an Imperial Household Agency official, told reporters that the decision to postpone the couple’s engagement was not related in any way to tabloid reports.
