‘Smiling and Graceful’ Princess Aiko Attends an Adult Event in Dress and Tiara, Receiving Medal from Her Father Emperor Naruhito
Her Imperial Highness Princess Toshinomiya Aiko,
the only daughter of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress, who celebrated
her 20th birthday on December 1, attended a coming-of-age event including the
bestowal of orders at the Imperial Palace on December 5. She wore a long dress
and a tiara as her formal attire, and responded to the congratulations with a smile.
Order of Merit worn by Princess Aiko (5th,
West Parade of the Imperial Palace)
Since she had university classes on the day
of her birthday, the major adult events were held on the morning of the 5th, a
holiday. After visiting the three halls of the Imperial Palace, where the
Imperial Ancestral Deities are worshipped, Aiko received the Grand Cordon of
the Order of the Precious Crown from His Majesty the Emperor in the Phoenix
Room of the Palace. According to her aides, Aiko "straightened her back
and made a dignified gesture," while His Majesty "looked at her with
a gentle gaze.
In the afternoon, she changed into a long
white dress called a "robe décolleté," the formal attire of the
female members of the Imperial Family, and wore a tiara and medals to greet
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. After this, she smiled and said,
"Thank you very much," when the press called out,
"Congratulations," to her at the west carriage entrance of the
palace.
Princess Aiko visits the Sento temporary
palace to greet the emperor emeritus and his wife, in Minato Ward, Tokyo, on December
5.
She then made her first visit to the Sento
Temporary Imperial Palace (Minato-ku, Tokyo) to greet the Emperor Emeritus and
his wife, her grandparents, About 230 people, including residents, visited the
area around the temporary palace and Princess Aiko responded to the people who
had gathered along the roadside by smiling and waving from her car. In the
evening, she returned to the palace and was congratulated by members of the
Imperial Family and the heads of the three-party coalition.
Princess Aiko is congratulated by the heads
of the three parties with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress are at the
Imperial Palace on December 5
It is customary for female members of the
Imperial Family to acquire a new tiara when they reach adulthood. This time, in
view of the new coronavirus outbreak, she decided not to wear it, and borrowed
the one used by His Majesty's sister and Aiko’s aunt, Sayako Kuroda. To prevent
infection, no tea ceremony or banquet was held after the ceremony.
A reporter who has been covering Princess
Aiko for many years said, "I'm sure she must have been very nervous when
she appeared for the first time as an adult member of the Imperial Family, but
I was very impressed by how she handled the situation with her usual calmness,
smiling face, and very graceful demeanor.
For the time being, Princess Aiko is expected to give priority to her studies while also participating in court events and ceremonies as an adult member of the Imperial Family. Aiko's first official event will be the "New Year's Celebration Ceremony" to be held at the Imperial Palace on January 1 next year. Her first press conference after reaching adulthood is expected to be in March next year, in consideration of her schoolwork.
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