Queen Margrethe of Denmark has sent a congratulatory message to Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito after his ascension to the throne on 1 May after the abdication of his 85-year-old father, Emperor Akihito abdicated on 30 April.
The Queen of Denmark said:
His Majesty Emperor Naruhito,
On the occasion of Your Majesty’s accession to the throne of Japan, please accept my sincere congratulations as well as my best wishes for Your Majesty and for the people of Japan.
I appreciate the long-standing and cordial relationship between our two nations. I am delighted to see the close relationship that Your Majesty and Her Majesty Empress Masako have developed with Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, in particular during the celebration of the 150th anniversary of our diplomatic ties in 2017.
Margrethe R
The Belgian royals also remarked on the throne change in Japan on 30 April:
“The abdication of Emperor Akihito marks the end of the Heisei era for Japan. It was in 1989 that Emperor Akihito succeeded his father, becoming the 125th Emperor of Japan. During this reign, relations between our two countries intensified, as illustrated by the various state visits by King Baudouin, King Albert and King Philippe, as well as the state visits by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to Belgium. Crown Prince Naruhito will become, on May 1st, the 126th Emperor of Japan, marking the beginning of the Reiwa era. We look forward to further deepening the good relations between our countries.”
King Mohammed of Morocco also sent a message to Emperor Naruhito to express his wish of health and happiness for the new ruler, Emperor Akihito, and the rest of the Imperial Family. He shared his congratulations and appreciation for the close relationship between Japan and Morocco, adding he was looking forward to working with Emperor Naruhito to make the relationship even stronger.
The abdication the now Emperor Emeritus and the ascension of new Emperor Naruhito was not attended by any foreign royals.
