The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Princess Mako of Japan’s wedding plans.
The Princess announced her engagement to Kei Komuro in May 2017 with a wedding set for the following year; however, in 2018, the couple announced that they were postponing their wedding for two years. The couple cited a lack of time to prepare, but the Komuro family’s financial dispute is widely thought to be to blame for the postponement.
The Princess said through the Imperial Household Agency that she “came to recognise the lack of time to make sufficient preparations.” They denied at the time links to a recent magazine article that reported a financial dispute between Kei Komuro’s mother and her former fiance over her son’s education expenses.
Princess Mako wanted to postpone the wedding until 2020 after a “series of ceremonies important for the Imperial family have ended smoothly.” This referred grandfather, Emperor Emeritus Akihito’s abdication and her uncle, Emperor Naruhito’s ascension and enthronement last year.
The two years have passed since Princess Mako and Kei Komuro announced that their wedding was on hold. With the COVID-19 pandemic still running rampant across the globe, the chances of the pair getting to wed this year are slim.
Komuro is currently studying law in New York and is expected to graduate next year. The couple have made no official announcements regarding wedding plans, but sources close to the couple say they do still intend to marry and stay in regular contact.
Last November, Princess Mako’s father, Crown Prince Akishino urged his daughter to update the Japanese public on her future plans. At the time he said at a press conference for his birthday: “This coming February marks two years [since the announcement of the postponement of the wedding]. I believe something must be announced about it.”
