Japan's Princess Mako left the royal world Like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
In doing so renounced her royal title. but she and her husband plan to lead a different life
The move stirred controversy and even led to protests on the streets of Tokyo. Japanese outlets such as Japan Times and Aera began comparing Mako and Komuro to a former royal couple: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
But similarities between the couples are arguably few and far between.
Just after Mako and Komuro announced their engagement in 2017, reports that his mother was involved in a financial dispute that led the Imperial Household to put the wedding on hold, according to a 2018 Times of London article. Citing a report by the news magazine Shukan Shincho, the Times said Komuro's mother owed 4.3 million yen, or close to $38,000, to a businessman for loan repayment.
After the dispute, Komuro's image became that of a "gold digger," according to The New York Times.
Speaking at the news conference after they married, Mako said "arbitrary criticism", and "incorrect" reporting about her husband made her feel "great fear, stress, and sadness," Reuters reported. Her comments came weeks after the Imperial Household Agency announced she'd been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder due to media speculation in the lead-up to her wedding, The Telegraph reported.
Similarly, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spoken about how the British tabloid media have treated them. However, unlike Mako and Komuro, they have taken some media outlets to court.
Markle won many privacy and copyright claims against the Mail on Sunday and Associated Newspapers earlier this year after publishing a private letter she wrote to her father in February 2019. And during Markle and Harry's Oprah Winfrey interview in March, they opened up about how racist and biased reporting among British tabloids ultimately contributed to their decision to leave.
Markle told Winfrey she experienced suicidal thoughts and "didn't want to be alive anymore" due to her criticism.
"That was a clear and real and frightening and constant thought," she said, adding that she had approached a senior royal staff member about getting help for her mental health but turned away.
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