Japan emperor, empress to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

(File photo) Japan’s Emperor Naruhito (L) and Empress Masako (R) leave after attending a ceremony for the 75th founding anniversary of the Japan War-Bereaved Family Association at a hotel in Tokyo on September 12, 2022. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI and KAZUHIRO NOGI / POOL / AFP)

 

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, the Japanese government said Wednesday, in their first overseas trip since assuming the throne in 2019.

Top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that the royal couple would be present but Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other government officials would not attend.

Queen Elizabeth met three generations of Japanese royals and had invited Emperor Naruhito and his wife to visit the UK, a trip that was nixed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Matsuno said.

 

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L) escorts Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan (C) through the Great Hall in Windsor Castle 19 May 2001. Crown Prince Naruhito is on an official visit to Britain where he will meet members of The Royal family and later visits Oxford University. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP)

Naruhito attended Oxford University in the 1980s and Masako also studied there as a young diplomat in the same period.

During his studies, Naruhito met the queen and British royals, including a visit to Balmoral Castle.

Naruhito’s father Akihito attended the queen’s coronation in 1953 as crown prince, the eldest son of then emperor Hirohito.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 18, 2012 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (R) greets Japan’s Emperor Akihito (L) and Empress Michiko on arrival at a lunch for Sovereign Monarchs held in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee at Windsor Castle, in Windsor.
 (Photo by Dominic Lipinski / POOL / AFP)

The Japanese royal couple have made fairly few public appearances during the pandemic, over infection fears.


© Agence France-Presse