People would do anything for love, even if it means giving up their royal status. 

Princess Mako, the eldest daughter of Emperor Akihito, is set to give up her royal title in order to marry Kei Komuro, a commoner. They both met while they were students at Tokyo’s International Christian University.

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As of now, Komuro works as a paralegal at a law firm, but he is still remembered for appearing in a tourism campaign for Japan, in which he played the “Prince of the Sea.”

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So since that doesn’t technically make him an actual prince, Princess Mako must give up her royal status in order to marry him. Even though women ultimately cannot inherit Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne, this is still a reality for all female members of the imperial royal family. Due to this, Princess Mako was never even in line for the throne. But her father, Prince Akishino, is the brother of Crown Prince Naruhito, which puts him second in line to the throne, as Prince Naruhito has only one daughter. And, Princess Mako’s younger brother, Prince Hisahito, is third in the order of succession.

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But this new system is comparatively new. Before 1947, female members of the Imperial family could inherit the throne and were not required to leave the royal family after they married.

Before this, the last female member of the Imperial family to give up her royal status in a similar situation was Princess Mako’s aunt, Sayako, formerly known as Princess Nori. The news of this impending engagement has revived the debate about this law and has also raised concerns about the future of the monarchy. 

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Komuro, when asked about the news by reporters, said, “I would like to talk about it when the time comes.”