Princess Mako of Japan has welcomed her first child, the Imperial Household Agency has announced. Mako Komuro, who is the niece of Emperor Naruhito, left the royal family in 2021 when she married her former college classmate Kei Komuro, a commoner.
The former princess, 33, was required to give up her royal status by law and, following her marriage, moved to New York, where her husband is a lawyer.
The decision led to comparisons with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who also turned their backs on royal duties to live privately in the US.
Now, she and her husband, also 33, have welcomed their first child together.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, a representative for the agency said both mother and child are in good health, though neither the newborn’s name nor gender were revealed.
Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, Mako’s parents, were said to be delighted at the news and wished the family the greatest happiness.
‘This is a matter for a person who has left the Imperial Family, and we had hoped that she would spend her time in a quiet environment,’ said grand master Naomasa Yoshida at the conference, as reported in the Japan Times.
‘We decided to make the announcement, however, in light of some media reports (about the birth).’
Mako made headlines around the world in 2021 when she sensationally forfeited her royal status to marry her college sweetheart, 31-year-old Kei Komuro.
They married in a civil ceremony back in 2021 and Mako moved to New York City to live with her husband.
The low-key ceremony was met with protests, and was held behind closed doors without any of the pomp and pageantry of other Japanese royal weddings, which traditionally include a reception and banquet.