Yearly Archives: 2014

Hamzah bin Al Hussein, formerly Prince Hamzah of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © 2014

Hamzah bin Al Hussein; Credit – Wikipedia

Born Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein of Jordan on March 29, 1980, in Amman, Jordan, Hamzah is the eldest son of King Hussein of Jordan and his fourth wife, Queen Noor (the former Lisa Halaby). On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan.

Hamzah has three younger siblings:

  • Prince Hashim (born 1981), married Fahdah Mohammed Abunayyan, had five children
  • Princess Iman (born 1983), married Zaid Azmi Mirza, had one son, divorced
  • Princess Raiyah (born 1986), married Ned Donovan

Hamzah has seven half-siblings from her father’s other three marriages.

From his father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):

  • Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one child, divorced  (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children

From his father’s second marriage to Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Princess Muna):

  • King Abdullah II (born 1962), married Rania al Yassin, had four children
  • Prince Feisal (born 1963), married (1) Alia Tabbaa, had four children, divorced (2) Sara Bassam Qabbani, no children, divorced (3) Zeina Lubbadeh, had two children
  • Princess Aisha (born 1968), married (1) Zeid Saadedine Juma, had two children, divorced  (2) Ashraf Banayoti, divorced
  • Princess Zein (born 1968), married Majdi Farid Al-Saleh, had three children

From his father’s third marriage to Alia Baha ad-Din Toukan (Queen Alia):

Hamzah at his Passing Out Parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1999

Hamzah began his education in Jordan and attended the Harrow School in London, England. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and served with the Jordanian Armed Forces where he held the rank of Colonel. He later graduated, in 2006, from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Upon their father’s death in 1999, Hamzah was named Crown Prince by his elder half-brother, the new King Abdullah II, in accordance with their father’s wishes. He would later serve occasionally as Regent for King Abdullah and often represented him at events both within Jordan and abroad. However, on November 28, 2004, King Abdullah removed the title of Crown Prince. In a public letter, he said that … “Your holding this symbolic position has restrained your freedom and hindered our entrusting you with certain responsibilities that you are fully qualified to undertake.”  A few years later, the King named his son, Hussein, as Crown Prince of Jordan.

In April 2021, Hamzah was accused of trying to mobilize tribal leaders against the government.  He was placed under house arrest and was ordered to stop actions that could be used to target the country’s “security and stability”. In a video released by Hamzah’s lawyer, Hamzah accused the country’s leaders of corruption, harassment, and incompetence. The video and the text of the statement can be seen at BBC: Prince Hamzah bin Hussein of Jordan’s ‘house arrest’ message in full.  Ahmad Hasan al Zoubi, a prominent newspaper columnist, said, “What Prince Hamzah said is repeatedly heard in the homes of every Jordanian.” On April 7, 2021, King Abdullah II said Hamzah’s house arrest was ending and that Hamzah was now “in his palace under my protection.” In March 2022, the Royal Court published an apology purportedly signed by Hamzah and asking his half-brother King Abdullah II for forgiveness.

On April 3, 2022, Hamzah renounced his title of Prince of Jordan. In a statement posted to Twitter, Hamzah said:

“Following what I have witnessed in recent years, I have come to the conclusion that my personal convictions which my father instilled in me, and which I tried hard in my life to adhere to, are not in line with the approaches, trends and modern methods of our institutions. From the matter of honesty to God and conscience, I see nothing but to transcend and abandon the title of prince. I had the great honour of serving my beloved country and my dear people over the years of my life. I will remain as I have always been and as long as I live, loyal to our beloved Jordan.”

Hamzah and his first wife Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef

Hamzah has been married twice. He first married his second cousin, Princess Noor bint Asem bin Nayef, on August 29, 2003 (with the official wedding on May 27, 2004). They had one daughter before divorcing in September 2009.

  • Princess Haya bint Hamzah (born 2007)

Hamzah and his second wife Basmah Bani Ahmad in 2011

Hamzah married Basmah Bani Ahmad on January 12, 2012. The couple has four daughters and two sons:

  • Princess Zein bint Hamzah (born 2012)
  • Princess Noor bint Hamzah (born 2014)
  • Princess Badiya bint Hamzah (born 2016)
  • Princess Nafisa bint Hamzah (born 2018)
  • Prince Hussein bin Hamzah (born 2019)
  • Prince Mohammad bin Hamzah (born 2022)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Ali of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Ali of Jordan; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan was born on December 23, 1975. He is the son of King Hussein I of Jordan and his third wife Queen Alia, the former Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan.

Prince Ali has an older sister and an older adopted sister:

  • Princess Haya (born 1974), married Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, had one son and one daughter, divorced
  • Abir Muhaisen (born 1972, adopted in 1976), Abir had been orphaned when her mother was killed in a plane crash at a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan

Ali has a number of half-siblings from her father’s other three marriages.

From his father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):

  • Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one child, divorced  (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children

From his father’s second marriage to Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Princess Muna):

  • King Abdullah II (born 1962), married Rania al Yassin, had four children
  • Prince Feisal (born 1963), married (1) Alia Tabbaa, had four children, divorced (2) Sara Bassam Qabbani, no children, divorced (3) Zeina Lubbadeh, had two children
  • Princess Aisha (born 1968), married (1) Zeid Saadedine Juma, had two children, divorced  (2) Ashraf Banayoti, divorced
  • Princess Zein (born 1968), married Majdi Farid Al-Saleh, had three children

From his father’s fourth marriage to Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Queen Noor):

Prince Ali began his education at the American Community School in Amman, Jordan, before attending the Salisbury School in Connecticut, graduating in 1993. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, earning his commission in December 1994. He served in the Jordanian Special Forces and later attended Princeton University in New Jersey, graduating in 1999.

From 1999 until 2008, Prince Ali served as Commander of King Abdullah’s Special Security in The Royal Guards. In 2008, he established the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management and serves as director of the organization.

In addition, he serves as Chairman of the Royal Film Commission, President of the Jordan Football Association, and is Founder and President of the West Asian Football Federation. Since 2011, Prince Ali has also served as Vice President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Prince Ali was married on April 23, 2004, to Rym Brahimi, a former CNN journalist. The wedding was publicly celebrated on September 7, 2004. The couple has two children:

  • Princess Jalila bint Ali (born 2005)
  • Prince Abdullah bin Ali (born 2007)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Haya of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Princess Haya of Jordan

Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan was born on May 3, 1974. She is the daughter of King Hussein of Jordan and his third wife, Queen Alia (the former Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan). Just a few months before her third birthday, her mother died in a helicopter crash. Haya and her siblings were raised by her father and his fourth wife, Queen Noor, who were married in 1978.

Haya has a younger brother and an older adopted sister:

  • Prince Ali (born 1975), married Rym Brahimi, a former CNN journalist, had two children
  • Abir Muhaisen (born 1972, adopted in 1976), Abir had been orphaned when her mother was killed in a plane crash at a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan

 

Haya has a number of half-siblings from her father’s other three marriages.

From her father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):

  • Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one son, divorced  (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children

From her father’s second marriage to Antoinette Avril Gardiner (Princess Muna):

From her father’s fourth marriage to Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Queen Noor):

Princess Haya was educated in England, attending the Badminton School and the Bryanston School, before enrolling at St Hilda’s College, Oxford University. She graduated with an Honors Degree BA MA, in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).

 

A skilled equestrian, Princess Haya was the first female to represent Jordan internationally in show jumping. She won individual bronze at the 1992 Pan Arab Games (becoming the first female ever to have won a Pan-Arab medal in equestrian sports). She was named Equestrian Personality of the Year in 1996, by the Spanish Equestrian Federation. In 2000, she competed in the Sydney Olympic Games and was also flag-bearer for the Jordanian athletes. In 2002, she became the first Arab woman to qualify and compete in the equestrian world championship when she competed in the FEI World Equestrian Games. During this time, in order to be able to transport her horses herself, she became the first Jordanian woman to obtain a license to drive heavy trucks. She was also the first Jordanian athlete to turn pro, signing a commercial contract with an Italian designer in May 2000.

In 2003, Princess Haya founded and became Chairperson of Tkiyet Um Ali – the first food aid NGO in the Arab World, in honor of her mother, Queen Alia. She also served as World Food Programme Goodwill Ambassador from 2005-2007, the first Arab, and the first woman, to serve in this role.

Since 2006, she has served as President of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), serving two terms. In August 2014, she announced that she will not seek a third term.

2007 saw the Princess take on several new roles. She was appointed Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City (IHC) and became a member of the International Olympic Committee. In September 2007, she was named a UN Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. And the following month, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan chose her to become a founding member of the Global Humanitarian Forum.

Princess Haya also serves as Global Patron for the World Academy of Sport, President of the UAE Nursing and Midwifery Council, Chairperson of Dubai Healthcare City Authority, President of the Princess Haya Biotechnology Center at Jordan University of Science and Technology, and Honorary President of the Queen Alia Foundation for Hearing & Speech. In addition, she works closely with the World Food Programme and UNICEF.

 

Princess Haya became the junior wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Emir of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, on April 10, 2004. The couple had two children:

  • Sheikha Al Jalila bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (born 2007)
  • Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (born 2012)

Sheikh Mohammed divorced Princess Haya under Sharia Law in February 2019 but he did not inform Haya. In the early summer of 2019, Princess Haya took her two children and fled to London where she sought political asylum. Haya now lives in London and as an envoy of the Embassy of Jordan, she is able to remain in the United Kingdom and was granted diplomatic immunity and protection under the Geneva Convention. In March 2020, the High Court in London ruled that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inflicted “exorbitant” domestic abuse on his wife and granted Princess Haya sole custody of their children. In 2021, Haya was granted full custody of her children by a British court.  In March 2022, the British High Court declared that Haya had been a victim of “domestic abuse”, and she was announced as the sole person in charge of the children’s schooling and medical care.

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Haya with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and their two children at Royal Ascot in June 2018

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Feisal of Jordan

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein of Jordan was born on October 11, 1963, in Amman, Jordan. He is the second son of King Hussein of Jordan and Princess Muna al-Hussein (the former Antoinette Gardiner).

Prince Feisal has one elder brother and two younger twin sisters:

Feisal has a number of half-siblings from his father’s other three marriages.

From his father’s first marriage to Sharifa Dina bint ‘Abdu’l-Hamid (Queen Dina):

  • Princess Alia (born 1956), married (1) Lieutenant-Colonel Nasser Wasfi Mirza, had one child, divorced  (2) Sayyid Mohammed Al-Saleh, had two children

From his father’s third marriage to Alia Baha ad-Din Toukan (Queen Alia):

From his father’s fourth marriage to Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Queen Noor):

Prince Feisal attended school for a year in England (St Edmund’s School) before continuing his education in the United States. There he attended the Bement School and the Eaglebrook School, both in Deerfield, Massachusetts, before completing high school at St Alban’s School in Washington, DC. He graduated from Brown University in 1985 with a BSc in Electrical Engineering.

Prince Feisal had trained with the Royal Jordanian Air Force before graduating college. After graduating, he received his officer training and Basic Flying Training with the British Royal Air Force at Cranwell. He then moved to RAF Valley where he received his RAF wings in 1987. He returned to Jordan and the Royal Jordanian Air Force.

Prince Feisal; Credit – Wikipedia

In addition to his military duties, Feisal has been President of the Jordan Olympic Committee since 2003, Founder and Chairman of Generations for Peace since 2007, and a Member of the International Olympic Committee since 2010.

Prince Feisal has been married three times. His first wife was Alia Tabbaa, daughter of Sayyid Tawfik al-Tabbah, founder and president of Royal Jordanian Airlines. They married on August 9, 1987, and had four children before divorcing in April 2008.

Prince Feisal was then married to Sarah Bassam Kabbani from May 2010 until their divorce in September 2013. Their marriage was childless. He then married his third wife Zeina Lubbadeh, a Jordanian radio presenter and daughter of businessman Dr. Fares Lubbadeh, on January 4, 2014. Feisal and Zeina have two sons:

  • Prince Abdullah bin Feisal (born 2016)
  • Prince Muhammad bin Feisal (born 2017)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Prince Sverre Magnus was born on December 3, 2005, at Rikshospitalet University Hospital in Oslo, Norway.  He is the youngest of the two children of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit (née Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby), and one of the five grandchildren of King Harald V of Norway.  The prince is third in the line of succession to the Norwegian throne, behind his father and sister.

Prince Sverre Magnus’s family, 2022: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra

Prince Sverre Magnus has an older sister:

He also has an older half-brother, the son of his mother and Morten Borg:

  • Marius Borg Høiby (born 1997)
Sverre Magnus_norway_christening

Christening of Prince Sverre Magnus; Photo Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no, photographer: Tor Richardsen / Scanpix

Prince Sverre Magnus was christened on March 6, 2006, at the chapel in the Royal Palace in Oslo. His godparents were:

In the autumn of 2007, Sverre Magnus began attending preschool in Asker, Norway, where he lives with his family at Skaugum, the official residence of his parents, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway. In 2011 he began attending Jansløkka Elementary School, a local state school attended by his sister and half-brother. From 2014 to 2021, Sverre attended Oslo Montessori School. He began attending the Elvebakken Upper Secondary School in Oslo in 2021 and graduated in 2024.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway was born at the Rikshospitalet University Hospital in Oslo, Norway on January 21, 2004. She is the elder of the two children of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit (née Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby), and one of the five grandchildren of King Harald V of Norway.

Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no

Ingrid Alexandra was christened on April 17, 2004, in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway. Her godparents were:

Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s family, 2022: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Prince Sverre Magnus, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra

Princess Ingrid Alexandra has a younger brother:

She also has an older half-brother, the son of her mother and Morten Borg:

  • Marius Borg Høiby (born 1997)

In 1990, Norway adopted absolute primogeniture whereby the crown goes to the eldest child regardless of gender. This means that Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second in the line of succession to the throne of Norway behind her father and is expected to become the reigning Queen of Norway.

Ingrid Alexandra_Norway_first day of school

Princess Ingrid Alexandra arrives at Jansløkka School, accompanied by her parents and grandparents, Photo Credit – http://www.royalcourt.no, photographer Stian Lysberg Solum / Scanpix

In January of 2006, Ingrid Alexandra began attending a daycare center in Asker, Norway,  where she lives with her family at Skaugum, the official residence of her parents, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway. Four years later, she began attending (link translated by Google Translator), a public school, also in Asker. In 2014, Princess Ingrid Alexandra transferred to the Oslo International School, a private English language school. On August 19, 2019,  the Princess started at Uranienborg School in Oslo to complete her lower secondary education. In the fall of 2020, Ingrid Alexandra began her studies at Elvebakken High School in Oslo. Her grandmother Queen Sonja of Norway also attended Elvebakken High School (link in Norwegian). She graduated in April 2023.  In January 2024, Ingrid Alexandra began twelve months of military training with the Combat Engineer Battalion of the Brigade Nord, the major combat formation and only brigade of the Norwegian Army.

 

On June 10, 2010, Princess Ingrid Alexandra was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her godmother, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden. She is the shortest bridesmaid standing on the left of the photo below. Two other royal godchildren of Crown Princess Victoria were also in the wedding party. Princess Catharina Amalia of the Netherlands (Princess of Orange) is sitting to the left of Ingrid Alexandra, and Prince Christian of Denmark is on the far right.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra’s confirmation

The confirmation service of Princess Ingrid Alexandra was held on August 31, 2019, in the Royal Chapel in the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway. The confirmation service was conducted by Oslo’s Bishop Kari Veiteberg and presided over by Bishop Helga Haugland Byfuglien.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein; Credit – Daniel Ospelt/Vaterlandmagazin

His Serene Highness Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein was born on May 24, 1995, at Portland Hospital in London, England. Known as Prince Wenzel, he is the eldest of the four children of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein and his wife, born Princess Sophie of Bavaria.  Prince Wenzel is the grandson of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II and is second in the line of succession to the throne of Liechtenstein after his father.

Wenzel has three siblings:

  • Princess Marie-Caroline (born 1996)
  • Prince Georg (born 1999)
  • Prince Nikolaus (born 2000)
Embed from Getty Images 
Joseph Wenzel with his parents and younger sister Marie-Caroline

Prince Wenzel’s full name is:

Prince Wenzel attended secondary school at Malvern College in Malvern, Worcestershire, England where he was known as Wenzel Liechtenstein. After graduating from Malvern in May 2014, Wenzel took a gap year, during which he gained work experience in the United States and South America.  Following in his father’s footsteps, Prince Wenzel attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, graduating in August 2017.

Through his mother Sophie, born a Princess of Bavaria and thus a member of the House of Wittelsbach, Prince Wenzel is third in line and the heir of his mother to the Jacobite succession to the British throne.  The Jacobites sought to restore the British crown to King James II of England following his deposition in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and subsequently, to his heirs. The current Jacobite heir is Sophie’s childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, who has never pursued the claim. Franz’s heir is Sophie’s father, Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria who only has five daughters. As the eldest of her father’s daughters, Sophie will be his heir to the Jacobite claim and therefore her eldest son is her heir.

After the line of King James II died out, the Jacobite line then went to the line of the youngest daughter of King Charles I of England, which was denied succession rights due to its Roman Catholicism.

Prince Joseph Wenzel’s link to the House of Stuart is through this line:

    • Princess Henrietta of England (1644–1670), youngest daughter of King Charles I of England; then her daughter
    • Anne Marie d’Orléans (1669–1728), Queen Consort of Sardinia; then her son
    • Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (1701–1773), Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia; then his son
    • Victor Amadeus III (1726–1796), King of Sardinia; then his son
    • Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia (1759–1824); then his daughter
    • Maria Beatrice, Princess of Sardinia and later by marriage Duchess of Modena (1792–1840); then her son
    • Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este (1821–1849), Archduke of Austria-Este and Prince of Modena; then her daughter
    • Maria Theresia, Princess of Modena and later Queen Consort of Bavaria (1849–1919); then her son
    • Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria (1869–1955); then his son
    • Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria (1905–1996); then his son
    • Franz, Duke of Bavaria; then his brother
    • Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria; then his daughter
    • Sophie, Princess of Bavaria and later Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein; then her son
    • Joseph Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Hisahito of Akishino

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Hisahito, March 2025

Prince Hisahito of Akishino (Hisahito Shinnō) is the third child, and the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and the former Kiko Kawashima. He is the only grandson of Emperor Emeritus  Akihito and Empress Emeritus Michiko, the only nephew of the current Emperor Naruhito, and is currently second in the line of succession to the Chrysanthemum Throne after his father. Prince Hisahito was born on September 6, 2006, at the Aiiku Hospital in Tokyo and he was the first male born into the Imperial Family since the birth of his father in 1965.

Prince Hisahito with his family in 2020; Credit – By 外務省, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115339264

Prince Hisahito had two older sisters:

  • Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino (born 1991), married Kei Komuro, lost her title, and became a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law
  • Princess Kako of Akishino (born 1994)

After the birth of Princess Aiko in 2001, the only child of Emperor Naruhito, there was much discussion about changing the laws to absolute primogeniture, whereby the oldest surviving child without regard to gender inherits the throne. Currently, there is male-line, male-only succession in Japan. In 2005, the Prime Minister vowed to submit a bill to the government to change The Imperial Household Law, based on recommendations from an independent, government-appointed panel. However, the birth of Prince Hisahito in 2006 seems to have ended the efforts, and the proposal was dropped. Currently, there are only three people in the line of succession: Crown Prince Akishino (born in 1965, brother of Emperor Naruhito), Prince Hisahito, (born in 2005, son of Crown Prince Akishino), and  Prince Hitachi (born in 1935, uncle of Emperor Naruhito). It is highly probable that there will not be another person in the line of succession until Prince Hisahito marries and has a son. In November 2020, it was recommended that the discussion regarding the succession be shelved until Prince Hisahito becomes an adult and has children. Unless there is a change in the succession law, it is probable that one day Prince Hisahito will become Emperor of Japan.

Prince Hisahito entering school, 2013. photo: Xinxua

Prince Hisahito entering school, 2013. photo: Xinxua

Prince Hisahito attended kindergarten at a school associated with the Ochanomizu University in Tokyo, Japan, and then, in April 2013, entered the Ochanomizu University Elementary School. This makes him the first member of the Imperial Family to be educated outside of the Gakushuin School. In April 2019, Hisahito entered the Ochanomizu University Junior High School. In April 2022, Hishito began to attend the University of Tsukuba’s Senior High School in the Otsuka district of Tokyo. He was the first member of the Imperial Family in postwar Japan to enroll in a senior high school other than Gakushuin University’s senior high school.

In April 2025, Prince Hisahito will begin his studies in biology, focusing on dragonflies, at the Tsukuba University near Tokyo. He is also in studying ways to protect insect populations in urban areas.

A coming of age ceremony Japan will be held for Prince Hisahito on September 6, his 19th birthday. It is customary in the Imperial Household to hold a coming-of-age ceremony when a male member of the Imperial Family reaches adulthood.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Princess Kako of Akishino

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Princess Kako of Akishino; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Kako of Akishino (Kako Naishinnō) is the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and the former Kiko Kawashima. She was born on December 29, 1994, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo.

Princess Kako has an older sister and a younger brother:

  • Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino (born 1991) married Kei Komuro, lost her title and became a commoner upon marriage as required by Imperial Household Law
  • Prince Hisahito of Akishino (born 2006)

Following her primary and secondary education at the Gakushūin School in Tokyo, Princess Kako studied English at Trinity College, in Dublin for a few months in 2012. In 2013, she enrolled at Gakushūin University. However, she left Gakushūin University in 2014, enrolling at the International Christian University in Tokyo in 2015.   In September 2017, Princess Kako began attending the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom studying the performing arts and psychology.  In March 2019, the Princess graduated from the International Christian University, with a degree in psychology. Since May 2021, Princess Kako has been employed part-time at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.

Princess Kako is an avid figure skater. In 2007, she participated in the Spring Cup Figure Skating Championship, ranking at the top of her division.

Princess Kako (right) with her siblings, 2012. photo: Imperial Household Agency

Princess Kako (right) with her siblings, 2012. photo: Imperial Household Agency

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Mako Komuro, formerly Princess Mako of Akishino

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Born Princess Mako of Akishino (Mako Naishinnō), she is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and the former Kiko Kawashima and the eldest grandchild of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. She was born on October 23, 1991, at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in Tokyo.

Mako has two younger siblings:

Princess Mako (left) with her siblings, 2012. photo: Imperial Household Agency

Princess Mako (left) with her siblings, 2012.  photo: Imperial Household Agency

Mako attended the Gakushūin School for her primary and secondary education. She then studied English at University College Dublin in 2010, and the University of Edinburgh in 2012. In 2014, she graduated from the International Christian University in Tokyo, with a degree in Art and Cultural Heritage. In 2016, Mako received a Masters Degree in art museum and gallery studies at the University of Leicester in England. She worked as a researcher at the Research Museum of the University of Tokyo until August 2021.

Upon coming of age in October 2011, Mako received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown. She was an active member of the Imperial Family, attended most formal events, and made official visits to several foreign countries.

Kei Komuro and Princess Mako at their engagement press conference; Credit – Japan Times

In May 2017, it was announced that Mako would marry commoner Kei Komuro whom she met at the International Christian University. The engagement was officially announced in September 2017.  The couple was expected to marry on  November 4, 2018.  However, it was announced on February 6, 2018, that the formal engagement and wedding would be postponed until at least 2020, saying the couple was not yet ready for marriage. In June 2019, Mako’s father Crown Prince Akishino said he did not know whether the marriage would take place following reports that Komuro’s mother was involved in a financial dispute. It was alleged that Komuro’s mother received four million yen from her former fiancé, some of which went towards paying Komuro’s tuition fees. The dispute resulted in the Imperial Family and the public’s disapproval of the marriage. In November 2020, the Imperial Household Agency announced that there was still no date for the marriage.

In September 2021, it was reported that the marriage would take place in the form of a simple ceremony at a government office on October 26, 2021. Mako announced that she would not accept the Japanese government’s taxpayer-funded payment of approximately $1.3 million given to royal women upon leaving the Imperial Family. According to Article 12 of the Imperial Household Law of 1947, “In case a female of the Imperial Family marries a person other than the Emperor or a member of the Imperial Family, she shall lose the status of Imperial Family member.” Upon her marriage, Princess Mako would have to relinquish her title from birth, her official membership in the Imperial Family, and any monetary allowance from the state. After her marriage, Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako would be known as Mako Komuro. Mako’s paternal aunt Sayako Kuroda, the only daughter of her grandfather Emperor Akihito, and three of Emperor Akihito’s sisters are among the Japanese princesses since the end of World War II who have been required to relinquish their membership in the Imperial Family upon their marriages to commoners.

Kei Komuro and Mako Komuro at the press event after their marriage

On October 26, 2021, Mako and Kei Komuro were married with none of the traditional rites associated with Japanese royal weddings due to the public disapproval of the groom. Mako, carrying a bouquet of flowers, came out of her family’s residence with her parents, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, and her younger sister Princess Kako. Prince Hisahito, Mako’s younger brother, was not present. Before a crowd of journalists, the family formally bowed to each other. In an unusual move for a member of the Japanese Imperial Family, Princess Kako pulled her older sister into an embrace. Mako then got into a car alone and left for the marriage office where the couple registered their marriage. At a press event in the afternoon, Mako appeared alongside her husband in front of a selected group of journalists. The newlyweds apologized for any trouble caused by their marriage and expressed gratitude to those who supported them.

Mako lives in the United States with her husband Kei Komuro, who received a law degree from Fordham University in New York City in 2021 and is employed by the New York-based law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.