Japanese Princess Gives Up Her Royal Status To Marry A Common Piano Player.

A Japanese princess is giving up her royal status to marry a commoner she fell in love with.

Japanese Emperor Akihito's oldest grandchild, Princess Mako, 25, said on Sunday she will marry Kei Komuro, who was a classmate of hers at Tokyo's International Christian University. She said she fell in ove with him because of his "bright smiles like the sun".

Women are not allowed to succeed Japan's throne, meaning Princess Mako will lose her royal status once she married 25-year-old Mr Komuro, a legal assistant who loves playing jazz piano.