Japan

Emperor Akihito one step closer to abdication

It has been nearly a year since Emperor Akihito appeared on Japanese national television — a rare and auspicious event at the best of times — to announce his wish to abdicate the throne and leave imperial duties to his younger and more able-bodied son, Crown Prince Naruhito. Now, the Japanese National Diet is on the cusp of signing into law the bill that could make this possible. The…
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FeaturesOpinion

The King Is Retired, Long Live the King! -- How Abdication is the Future of Monarchy

I remember 2013 as being a very hectic time for monarchists. Happily, it was the year where His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge was born, thus seeing the birth of the next generation of British kings. However, that year also marked a cluster of abdications from the older generations of European monarchs, first with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, then King Albert II of Belgium, and…
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