By now, news of the postponement of Princess Mako’s wedding with her schoolmate (a commoner) Komuro Kei, would have reached everyone’s ears. Well, at least everyone who is interested.
Last May, following NHK’s scoop on the couple’s engagement, the royal family had no choice but to hold a press conference some 4 months later to officially announce the engagement and their decision to get married in November 2018. That would mean the couple will have to hold the ceremonial exchange of bethrothal gifts in March before the wedding in November.
With the end of the current emperor’s reign and the Crown Prince’s coronation also happening this year, there seems to be a lot going on at the royal family and the couple has announced that it was too rushed and they do not have ample time to prepare for the wedding.
Members of the media, however, begged to differ.
Many felt that the postponement is related to a tabloid magazine’s scoop on Komuro’s mother’s financial trouble involving 4 million yen (approximately SGD$50,000) with her former fiance. While the royal family claims it is not related, the media began to place blame on NHK.
If NHK hadn’t broadcast the scoop in May and forced the royal family to push forward the young couple’s wedding, the family would’ve had enough time to grasp hold of information of Komuro’s mother’s monetary issues and taken steps to resolve it making sure everything is pretty and clean before proceeding with the announcement and the actual wedding of the royal family. Princess Mako apparently has also commented publicly that the major broadcasting company’s media caused her a lot of trouble resulting in the unexpected wedding to be announced.
Now that this never-before-seen postponement has occurred, NHK may have to reflect on whether the money made from publicly announcing this scoop is worth offending the royal family and messing up their plans.
