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Running out of royals: why calls are growing to let Japan’s princess Aiko take the throne

The Guardian UK · 9 October 2026 at 01:20

Running out of royals: why calls are growing to let Japan’s princess Aiko take the throne

More people in Japan are asking why the nation’s favourite royal, 24-year-old princess Aiko, will never be empress, with a recent poll saying 72% favour a woman emperor Her face is splashed across magazine covers.

Fans flock to online stores to snap up her outfits.

At official engagements, huge crowds wait in the crushing heat to catch a glimpse of a woman revered for her ‘regal dignity, beauty and aura’.

Princess Aiko, 24, is the most popular member of Japan’s imperial family, but according to law she will never be empress and, as the country runs out of royals, more and more Japanese people are asking why.

Read the full article on The Guardian UK ›

5News aggregated this summary from the outlet’s public feed. The full article, with all the context, is on www.theguardian.com — the content belongs to The Guardian UK.

Running out of royals: why calls are growing to let Japan’s princess Aiko take the throne

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