Δευτέρα 18 Νοεμβρίου 2024

Exceeded all the expectations: The longest-married & lived 'Imperial' Princess

 


Living a long lifespan is not unusual for the Japanese Imperial Family. But exceeding a century of life is an indeed remarkable record! And it's not an exaggeration to say that The Prince & Princess Mikasa set unprecedented records in both longevity and length of marriage. Their union of 75 years and 5 days is the longest recorded marital period of any blue-blooded couple in the history of all Monarchies. And their lifespans, more than 2 centuries combined; making them both the longest-living members of The Imperial House in at least the past 1 1/2 century of modern history. First Prince Takahito (1915 - 2016), who became the first imperial prince to reach his 100th birthday and died 11 months later; and then his widow Yuriko (1923 - 2024), who exceeded his age and made it to 101, before dying of "old age" last Friday. She was the last living member of The Imperial Family born during the Reign of (her father-in-law) Emperor Taisho (1912-1926) at the time of her death.




Yuriko Takagi (as is her maiden name) was born on 4 June 1923, as the second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi (a nobleman, entomolosist & member of the House of Peers) and Kuniko Irie. Through her father, Yuriko descended from feudal lords of Tan'nan Domain, her prominent ancestors including a roju (shogunal minister) from the final (Bakumatsu) years of Edo Period in Japan. Her mother also came from an elite clan (Yanagihara), being a great-niece of Lady Yanagiwara Naruko (a concubine of Meiji & mother to Taisho Emperor), which made her daughter and her future husband second cousins once removed.




Yuriko finished high-school in Gakushuin Women's Academy (designated for the elites) in 1941. On 29 March, at age just 17 it was announced that she would marry the youngest brother of The (Reigning) Emperor Hirohito, Prince Takahito, thus joining The Imperial Family. The engagement ceremony was scheduled for October 3, and the Wedding ceremony followed later on October 22. This was an arranged marriage, without an explanation or rehearsals for the 18-year-old bride, who would later recall she had been crying all the morning that day. Upon her marriage to Takahito, Yuriko joined his Household and became The Princess Mikasa.




Their Imperial Wedding took place during the second Sino-Japanese War and shortly before Japan attacked Pearl-Harbor (entering WWII), thus the celebrations were scaled back, and the newlyweds were not interviewed by the press, as expected. During the War Prince Mikasa served as a junior cavalry officer in the Army and The Princess managed the household and gave birth to their first child, Princess Yasuko, in 1944. A year later, in May 1945, a US air-raid burned down their residence in Akasaka Estate (Motoakasaka district, Tokyo), forcing the young family to spend the final months of the war in an air-raid shelter, with "unhygienic" conditions outside. As Princess Yuriko would recount in interviews for the authobiography of her late husband in 2022, The Prince was against the idea of extending the war any further at that point, and had a heated conversation with young officers, visiting their shelter, who persisted not to end it. The War eventually ended that August with Japanese surrender and The Emperor giving up all of his excecutive powers & divine status to this of a figurehead, with The Imperial Family affairs coming under direct control of The Government and all of its cadet branches abolished alongside the entire nobility.









After the war Prince Takahito enrolled to The University of Tokyo's Faculty of Letters to study history. Amid his busy schedule with engagements on behalf of The Imperial Family, he would borrow notes from fellow students when he missed the lessons. But it would be only thanks to his wife, that he could always have an effective transcription on hand. It was Princess Yuriko who stayed late into the night to prepare them, as she did with playing and changing the educational records of Chinese language that her husband studied from before the war. In the meantime, the Princely Couple welcomed four more children - Prince Tomohito, Prince Yoshihito, Princess Masako and Prince Norihito - and the young mother took care of their upbringing, amid hardships and financial instability their family that faced. The Prince Mikasa would write on their 70th wedding anniversary (2011) that despite coming from a noble family, The Princess (likely) endured "extraordinary" challenges to manage all their house affairs, adapting to the more demanding and busy life in the Imperial Family. Among those extraordinary hardships, Yuriko also faced the tragic loss of her father, who disappeared with a death note in July 1948, only to be found months later.





As the impacts of WWII gradually subsided, The Prince and Princess Mikasa made a joint effort into poetry, attending haiku gatherings. Under their shared, adopted pen name Yukari, they started writing haiku poems, and published a collection of their own, titled Hatsuyuki (First Snow). Prince Takahito followed the academic path after the war, becoming a scholar specialized on ancient oriental history, archaeology and semitic languages. Princess Yuriko would always accompany him into field research trips to Asia and The Middle Ease and would capture short films with an 8mm camera to use them in slide projection during her husband's lectures in Japanese and foreign universities & research centers. Moreover, Yuriko would join Takahito in international goodwill trips, promoting Japanese friendship with foreign nations, and on occasions like the 50th anniversary of the Japanese emigration to Brazil (1958) and the 2,500th founding anniversaries of Ceylon (1956) & The Persian Empire (1971).





Princess Yuriko became President of The Imperial Gift Foundation Boshi-Aiiku-Kai in 1948. She supported this association, promoting the health of mother and child, for 62 years until retiring in September 2010. For 32 years she had been President of The Cultural Foundation for promoting The National Custom of Japan. As its honorary President Her Imperial Highness suggested that individuals with significant achievements in dyeing techniques would be also honored (& awarded) for their efforts, such as those involved in the culture of kimono. The Princess also served as Honorary Vice-President of The Japanese Red Cross Society, and other organizations in a wide range of fields, such as sports, welfare & international friendships. She contributed to the global level promotion of ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) as well.





Yuriko, The Princess Mikasa, was a doting mother to all of her five children, while she respected the genger-based status, dictating Princesses to leave The Imperial Family upon marriage to a commoner. Ahead of such a marriage by their eldest daughter Yasuko to Tadateru Konoe in 1966, Prince Mikasa was deeply concerned about this "toughest" separation for his wife and her loneliness afterwards. Her second daughter Masako would also leave the Imperial Family after marrying to Soshitsu Sen (XVI) in 1983, while her eldest and youngest son would retain their titles upon their Weddings in 1980 & 1984 (respectively). Their two younger sons would be able to establish their own households, with Yoshihito created as Prince Katsura (in 1988), and Norihito creation as Prince Takamado (upon marriage in 1984). Thus, after five decades of marriage, Takahito & Yuriko (a senior Imperial Couple following the 1989 Imperial Succession by their nephew, Akihito) were able to enjoy the birth of nine grandchildren, including five Imperial Princesses, none of whom could inherit their or their son's Household.





Takahito, The Prince Mikasa, was appointed as a foreign associate of the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles-lettres in 1991 and a Honorary Fellow of The School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) in 1994. Princess Yuriko, his wife of more than 50 years accompanied him on both occasions. In May 1999 Princess Mikasa was admitted to St. Luke's International Hospital (in Chuo, Tokyo) to have a pacemaker implanted due to her ischemic heart disease (angina), while in July 2007 she underwent a successful surgery for colon cancer. His Imperial Highness always stayed by her side despite her frailty and thanks to him "I have lived to this day" she would later addmit. The Imperial Couple will celebrate their Diamond (60th) anniversary party in Marunouchi, Tokyo in 2001, while ten years later (in 2011), they'll publish personal gratitude message to each other to mark their (Platinum) 70th Wedding anniversary. Prince Takahito would say that undoubtedly "it was my wife Yuriko who supported me publicly and privately for 70 years". Both of them won't have enough words to express how thankful they are to each other.





From the turn of the century, Their Imperial Highnesses would be stuck with deep grief all over their later life. In November 2002, their youngest child, Prince Takamado died aged 47 from a cardiac arrest after collapsing during a squash lesson at The Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. Ten years later, in June 2012, their eldest son (& heir of the household) Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, died at 66 due to cancer, followed by his ailing brother, Prince Katsura's death two years later (June 2014) at the same age (66), from a heart attack. Thus, Prince and Princess Mikasa outlived all of their sons, while at the same time they got to see their first grandchildren marry and raising their own children. Prince Mikasa turned 100 in December 2015, and passed away in October 2016, shortly after their 75th wedding anniversary, celebrated in his hospital bed. Princess Yuriko, who was always fond of her husband's photo from his youth, riding a horse, led the funeral of her "dignified" Prince and his household for eight more years.





In her later years, Princess Yuriko stayed relatively healthy, even though she used a wheelchair and was hospitalized for short periods for heart failure, arrythmia & Covid-19 in the early 2020s. She attended the historic Abdication of her nephew Emperor Emeritus Akihito in 2019, but missed the Enthronement of her great-nephew Emperor Naruhito six months later. At the age of 100 The Princess Mikasa could still enjoy her time reading newspapers, watching baseball games on TV & relaxing in the sun in the garden. As long as her health permitted she took care of her hair & nails at a patronized hairdresser. She was hospitalized in March 2024 due to a stroke & aspirational pneumonia, but remained stable (and out of ICU) for most of her last months, undergoing rehabilitation until her organism functions declined. Princess Yuriko had been surrounded by her Imperial daughters-in-law & granddaughters (three of whom are unmarried) in her final hours, and breathed her last at 6:32' on 15 November 2024, having just lost her consciousness from the previous day. At 101 she was the world's oldest living senior Royal.





Princess Yuriko's Funeral ("Renso-no-gi") is taking place on Tuesday, 26 November 2024 at 10.00am, at Toshomagaoka cemetery in (Bunkyo Ward) Tokyo, with her eldest granddaughter, Princess Akiko of Mikasa, acting as chief mourner. Her body was brought back to her residence (Akasaka Estate, Minato Ward, Tokyo) three hours after her death, visited by The Sovereign & Retired Imperial Couples to pay their respects (as per tradition, neither will attend the funeral). The first rites took place on Saturday (November 16), with Ofunairi (placing the body inside the casket) at 5pm, followed by Haiketsu (farewell ceremony) where members of The Imperial Family paid their last respects. The vigil will take place on November 24 & 25, participated by Yuriko's immediate family, of whom The Mikasa & Takamado household are observing 30 days of mourning. The rest of The Imperial Family had five days of mourning. The death of Princess Mikasa leaves 16 living members of The Imperial House, five of whom are men and three in line of succession to The Chrysanthemum throne. The Princess is survived by her two daughters (aged 80 & 73), sons & daughters-in-law, 8 grandchildren & at least 7 great-grandchildren.








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Sources:

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241115_06/

https://japan-forward.com/obituary-princess-yuriko-mikasa-a-legacy-of-love-and-devotion/

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/11/15/japan/princess-yuriko-obituary/

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/imperial-family/20241116-222780/

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/11/a5d7aa2594e1-urgent-princess-yuriko-great-aunt-of-emperor-dies-at-101.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuriko,_Princess_Mikasa

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/11/8444171eeb08-people-mourn-princess-yuriko-great-aunt-of-japan-emperor.html

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241116_09/

https://asianews.network/traditional-rituals-held-for-late-princess-yuriko-of-japan/

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241116_15/



Τρίτη 11 Φεβρουαρίου 2020

A 'royal crisis', or unpredictable 'healthy renewal' of roles in British Royal Family ?

The last few months saw an increased raw of media spotlights to the British Royal family. Using the precondition of pending major royal crisis countless reports covered every new spotlight - either official or presumed - of something, that elsewhere is nothing more than a normal development of customary roles in a discreet way. There were, however, several misfortunate moments for popular royals, combined with tarnished reputations that could indeed be reviewed as seriously affecting the "internal affairs" of royal family.

Given all these headlines of major attention, and with what follows next being more clear now, there is a short summary of those events that recently unfolded & led to a bid quicker evolution of future roles in the household of probably the most influensive & record-breaking monarch in today's world!



Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (right) & Kaiser Franz Joseph II of
Austria-Hungary, the previous 5th longest-reigning Sovereign
This personality has the priviledge to be recorded as the longest ever lived & reigned monarch in Britain, the oldest & longest-reigning incumbent Head of State, the longest reigning female monarch in history, who recently became the 5th longest-reigned Sovereign head of state in the world (permanently entitled as such) and is the only state leader who heads 16 nations together & symbolically leads the independent, interdependent structure of the Commonwealth of nations; HM Queen Elizabeth II, who is going to be 94 in ~ two months & has reached her incredible reign's 68th anniversary.





Key to Freedom's owner & abuser:

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (left)
& Jeffrey Epstein (1953-2019)
In August 2019 US financier Jeffrey Epstein, convicted & charged for sex trafficking of underage females, was found dead in his prison cell in a possible suicide. Following his death a lot of suspended criminal charges against him went unanswered, but sues by several victims to his "collegues in offends" remained. One among the latter is the second son of British Queen, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. His Royal Highness has undertaken various public engagements as a full-working royal & even found charities, one of them - the Key to Freedom - empowering women who suffered from sexual assaults in the past. A divorse since 1996, he is the father of two daughters, Princesses Beatrice & Eugenie, who - while not full-working royals - have royal titles as The Queen's male-line grandchildren.

Prince Andrew allegedly had sexual contact three times with
Virginia Roberts (pict.) who then was an underage sex slave
Prince Andrew had met Epstein & his socialite former partner Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1990s. While himself the prince stated they were not so close, evident sources tell they had an extend friendship, & were seen together attending several public & private events, including a party with Donald J. Trump in a luxurious Florida residence. It is also reported that both men hosted each other in private estates & that the Duke (& even his former wife) were benefited by either Epstein's jets, or money donations to clear debts. Among other accusations, Andrew was alleged to having sex three times with Epstein's former sex-slave, Virginia Roberts (then an underage), while another one, Johanna Sjoberg, claimed he touched her inappropriately during a night stay at Jeffrey's mansion, where she was also serving as Roberts. The Prince, in several interviews, with the most recent one hosted at the palace, denied all accusations & claimed he was elsewhere when these things happened. This interview however was crushed by another of Virginia Roberts, where she emotionally recalled the abuses she suffered by him, while at the same time insiders of Andrew's close circle confirmed his exact whereabouts, not as he had pointed.

In the wake of this quick & unsteadfast development of situation last fall, Prince Andrew issued a statement on November 20 (2019), announcing his intention to "step back from public duties for the foreseeable future", which his mother, The Queen, agreed with. His Royal Highness conceded with the fact that his case brought a major disruption to the image & work of British Royal family and expressed his regret for his ill-judged assossiation with the sex-offender. He finally sympathised the victims & expressed his willingness to cooperate with them in possibly required future investigations. The 59-year-old Prince made this announcement on the 72nd wedding anniversary of his parents, Queen Elizabeth (93) & Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (98). This move does not affect either of his status or patronages, while he will continue to receive his public foundings as a senior royal (8th in line of succession to the British throne). Even his 60th birthday on February 19 (2020), for which several pre-planned formal events (& large celebrations) were cancelled, will still be celebrated in a private luncheon, hosted by The Queen, and government arrangements of flying union Jack's (UK) flags in official buildings on that day - the birthday a child of the monarch - is still in due, as normal.

Low-key Royal wedding' consequence:
Princess Beatrice of York & Edo Mapelli Mozzi

The summarised situation affects the position & royal prestige not only of the Duke of York himself, but his immediate family as well. While Prince Andrew was ambitious for his daughters to take a role, similar to the sons of his elder brother (Charles, Prince of Wales), in the aftermath of such circumstances it becomes even less possible than before. Beatrice & Eugenie do undertake few royal engagements & are entitled to the style of Royal Highness & title of Princesses of York (by birth); and at the same time are allowed to lead a private life & work. However, changes in 'royal treatment' can be evident from now; Princess Eugenie's royal wedding in October 2018 was a public event, held at Windsor Castle, involving carriage procession, live broadcast & publicly founded secutiry measures. Meanwhile Princess Beatrice, who is going to marry her fiance, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, on May 29 this year (as was recently announced), will have a much more simple wedding, held in private at St. James' (within Buckingham) palace, without a live broadcast & more, popular events.



From full-working royals to first class royal celebrities:

At their wedding in 2018, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
were the most popular(ly viral) royal couple in the world
Then comes the most mentioned part of "royal crisis" - TRH The Duke & Duchess of Sussex. Prince Henry (Harry), the second son of the Prince of Wales, was happily married to African-American former actress & feminist activist Meghan Markle in May 2018. Their royal wedding at Windsor Castle was broadcasted worldwide & Meghan's entrance to such a long-rooted prestigious dynasty had been widely seen as a new chapter in its "old fashioned" establishment. Their son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor was born in May last year & after their decision, didn't take a royal title. Their situation, however, was not one to be dealt for easy, as their over-reproduced popularity. Several tabloids of the British media highlighted ocassional dedications about Their Royal Highnesses' private affairs with often unconfirmed reports that created untruthful opinions about their family life & relations with British royal family.

The Queen & Prince Philip (left) were pleased to welcome
their newest great-grandchild, born in May last year
The tensions gradually increased & in late September (2019) Prince Harry 'filled a claim' to the High Court against the Mail & Associated Newspaper (its parent company) for illegal use of (the Duchess') private information, "infringement of copyright and breach of the Data Protection Act 2018". In a statement he issued on October 1, the Duke used a personal tone, expressing conserns for his wife becoming a victim of manipulation by a "ruthless campaign" of powerful media forces. He urged the more than ever need of a free & responsible media in today's world, and took a strong stance against bullying & malicious acts of the abovementioned British taboids. HRH defended his wife saying that she didn't change from the woman she was a year earlier & stood decisively not to allow history repeating itself, after having foreseen the danger of his wife falling a victim of the same "long & disturbing patern of behaviour" as his late mother - Diana, Princess of Wales. The prince notably mentioned the unnoticed, but important public support they enjoyed.

The decisive step of the Duke & Duchess of Sussex:

The royal changes were discussed with
The Queen & other involved parties
That amount of public support was what the Duke & Duchess used in a joint statement they issued on January 8, 2020, via their newly-created official website. Through it they announced their decision to "step back" from their currently known roles, retaining their committment to serve HM The Queen & their responsibilities over the numerous founds & patronages they lead. This decision was meant mostly so TRH could become financially independent (by the taxpayer), attend less formal engagaments in Britain & split their time between UK & Canada in order to raise their son in privacy. Buckingham palace announced the same day that discussions about these changes with the Sussexes are yet 'at an early state'. Prince Harry & Duchess Meghan had been an inevitable support for Her Majesty as full working royals, participating or heading multiple charities & private foundations, addressing mental health, sexual violence, wildlife protection, & many more similar issues. After scheduled talks on January 13 between The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge (Henry's elder brother) & the Duke of Sussex; a statement with a notice on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II was published, which in a partially personal node, announced Her Majesty's agreement to that flexible adaptation of her grandson & his wife. That of course would mean that the latter should not anymore be listed as senior royals & styled "Royal Highnesses" in which they have had conceded. Elizabeth stated among others, that while she would prefer they to remain full-working royals, she understands & respects their decision; the transition is going to be finalized by early Spring (2020).
Discussions bwtween The Queen, Prince of Wales &
Dukes of Cambridge & Sussex took place on Jan, 13



MEGXIT or the loudest restoration of ordinary roles in a royal family?

Ordinary the 'major' British royals are among direct heirs
In short, that is what took place last month & was made an ill-treated highlight story in all royal media worldwide, often overshadowing several more important events from the wide public eye. For the British Royal family, though this intention wasn't unexpected, it turned into a radical way of unpredictable speed. And the overal press attention - which described it as a "Megxit", dubbling to the ongoing that time Brexit proceedings - made it more difficult to be dealt with privately. But in other cases, such changes are more predictable & happen (if ever) ordinarly & without wider speculations. Such an example is Sweden, when King Carl XVI Gustaf recently removed five of his seven grandchildren from senior future royal responsibilities. Or course, (UK's) Prince Harry is in a position of future monarchs' younger son & brother, and thus his certainly expected major royal position was more difficult to be avoided. Put it also that through his mother, who was a worldwide royal celebrity, and her fate due to her over-popularity, it's now inevitable that he & his brother (as well as their families) will remain on the media spectrum regardless their future positions. But there could still be another approach - & it should be such, for the survival & healthy renewal of British Royal family, without turning it to a cheaply reproduced empty show of non-royal celebrities. There is not a crisis at all, such as the Duke of Sussex was never a direct heir to the throne. And since his brother is happily married with three young children & Prince Harry - who remains in line of succession - occupies just the 5th place of his grandmother's heirs, this voluntary reformation of his role, especially after it was agreed & planned by the senior royal family's elite, the only thing that is necessary to be done, is a concrete reporting of everything that happened without any further speculation & baseless fear, or even positions for & against their wish to stand out of spotlight. This is not the story of the year, not even the month; its just a causual evolution within the multimembered British Royal family towards its certain senior roles, which happens to have taken an unpredictable course! For Queen Elizabeth II it may have been indeed a couple of difficult months. However, such as back in early 1990s, when a wider spectrum of disasters occured, she remains evidently steadfast & adaptive enough to overcome them, as well as the recently confirmed separation of her eldest grandson from his wife (of 12 years).
Peter & Autumn Phillips recently confirmed their separation

There is the publication about natural (but predictable) royal House changes in Sweden last October:

So... who is going to prevail as senior 'royal' in popularity ?
Previous publications, relative to the topic (about members of British Royal family):


& Links of further information:

Exceeded all the expectations: The longest-married & lived 'Imperial' Princess

  Living a long lifespan is not unusual for the Japanese Imperial Family. But exceeding a century of life is an indeed remarkable record! An...