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The Japanese government is planning a bill to allow a female on the throne. Part of the bill includes an official title for the reigning empress's husband.
Japan has had eight female monarchs in the past who ruled between the sixth and 18th centuries but they were either unmarried or had been widowed. Accordingly, no title for the husband was required.
Current law which went into effect in 1947 is being revamped because it allows only male heirs who have emperors on their fathers' sides to become emperor. Female Imperial members have to leave the household if they marry commoners.
The new bill will put a lot of minds at rest I'm sure. This might also allow the husband to quit his current job with the Tokyo municipal government.
3 comments:
How about Mr. Japan? I think it has a nice ring to it.
I really don't see what all the fuss is about. After all, isn't His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito the next direct descendent in line? And while he and Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Masako have only so far produced a daughter (Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko) I would urge them to keep trying. Let us not forget that the reigning Emperor Akihito was the long-awaited first son of Hirohito and Empress Nagako, who had already produced four girls.
And Princess Masako being in her mid forties is no big deal... I remember reading last year that a 67 year old Romanian woman gave birth to a boy.
If for some reason a male child is not produced, and they approve this bill which would allow females to take the throne, I think that the title for the husband should be "His Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Moochers".
And unless this bill becomes retroactive, I highly recommend that Yoshiki Kuroda (husband of Princess Sayako) keep his day job at Tokyo city hall. Sayako lost her royal title Norinomiya when she married.
Stu Monkey
Stu Monkey: I was expecting literary analysis of the Basho haiku on monkeys wanting coats from you. I didn't realize that you were also a specialist on the royal family...
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