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Japan's Princess Mako to give up one-off payment in controversial marriage: Media

Japan's Princess Mako to give up one-off payment in controversial marriage: Media

 Princess Mako 

Japan'sPrincessMakois set to forego aone-offmillion-dollarpaymentfor givingupher royal status to wed a college classmate,mediasaid on Saturday, clearing the way for amarriagedelayed for years by controversy over her fiance.

The 29-year-old grand-daughter of then-Emperor Akihito and her former college classmate, Kei Komuro, announced their engagement in 2017.

But themarriagewas putoffafter reports of a financial dispute between Komuro's mother and her former fiance.

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The government is set to agree that theprincessforego thepayment, worthupto 150 million yen for royals givinguptheir status to marry commoners, amid public criticism over her fiance, public broadcaster NHK and others said.

NHK said the wedding date may be announced in October.

Officials of the Imperial Household Agency were not immediately available to comment.

A Japanese broadcaster, anticipating an imminent wedding, recently tracked down Komuro in New York. He was shown sporting a ponytail, a detail that has caused anuproar among some Japanese users of Twitter.

Mediahave said the couple plan to live in the United States. UnderJapan'smales-only royal succession law, female members of the imperial family lose their status on marrying commoners.