The couple — who met in college — announced their engagement in 2017. But the following year they postponed the wedding, saying they were not yet ready for marriage.
“It is because of our immaturity and we just regret it,” the couple said in a 2018 statement.
Imperial Household sources told CNN at the time the postponement was due to “lack of preparation.”
Under centuries-old Japanese law, the marriage between a royal and a commoner would require Princess Mako to give up her royal status.
Japan’s imperial law means only male heirs are allowed to inherit the throne.
If the other unmarried princesses of the family married commoners, they would also lose their royal status. That could leave the imperial family without enough members to carry out its public duties.
source: cnn.com