Signaling a break with tradition, Japan's Princess Mako of Akishino has announced that she will be marrying outside royalty.
The 29-year-old, who is the niece of Emperor Naruhito, is intending to wed her college sweetheart, Kei Komuro, by the end of 2021, The Japan Times reports.
She will be turning down a $1.3 million payout from the government, which is customarily paid to those who forego their royal status when marrying a commoner.
Under the centuries-old Japanese law, royals who marry commoners automatically give up their royal status.
While they are entitled to a one-off payment, the government has agreed that Princess Mako can reject the payment, amid criticism of her fiancé, Komuro. This clears the way for the couple to finally tie the knot after years of delays.
Princess Mako and Komuro announced their engagement in 2017, however, they delayed their nuptials the following year, after saying that they needed more time to prep for their future together.
According to CNN, sources at the Imperial Household said that the wedding was delayed to 2020 because of a "lack of preparation".
Per People, Japanese media, however, reported that it had been postponed after reports of a financial dispute surfaced between Komuro's mother and her former fiancé, who claimed that he had paid for Komuro's education.
At the time, Mako cited "immaturity" as the reason behind the issue.
Following their "low key" nuptials, the couple intends to relocate to the United States. Komuro is planning to work in a law firm in New York, given that he passes his law school exams.
The couple, who were both students at the International Christian University in Tokyo, first met while attending a study-abroad event at a restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Komuro proposed over dinner in December of 2013, and they formally spoke about their wedding plans to the press in September of 2017.
Speaking about her relationship, Princess Mako — who graduated in Art Museum and Gallery Studies from Leicester University — said of her fiancé, per The Telegraph, "First I was attracted by his bright smile."
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