Princess Kiko is Pregnant for the 3rd time - Page 14

Toledo · #**261** 07-25-2006, 12:15 AM

This was the only recent link I could find a minute ago

Japan's Baby Heir May Be Delivered Prematurely
July 19, 2006 11:50 p.m. EST

and this one: 2,600 years of tradition rest on one woman’s pregnancy
Web posted at: 7/19/2006 9:39:36
Source ::: AFP

monica17 · #**262** 07-25-2006, 01:06 AM

Interesting that the headline speaks of a "baby heir" and not a "baby heiress". It's a boy...... Hope Princess Kiko and the baby both stay healthy until next month.

MARG · #**263** 07-25-2006, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monica17

Interesting that the headline speaks of a "baby heir" and not a "baby heiress". It's a boy...... Hope Princess Kiko and the baby both stay healthy until next month.

I echo your sentiments in both areas. Yes I think it probably is an heir, and yes I hope both mother and child continue to stay healthy.

soCal girl · #**264** 07-25-2006, 01:50 AM

I wonder how Kiko feels right now. She may have to deal with the stress and uncertainty of an early birth. I feel like enough is already on her plate right now.

Vanesa · #**265** 07-25-2006, 08:59 PM

Hope the Princess health and also baby's health would be all right. Poor Kiko...It's a pity she must undergo all this.

Vanesa.

mandyy · #**266** 07-27-2006, 01:00 AM

Japan weeklies predict princess to bear male heir

TOKYO - Japan’s royal baby isn’t due for weeks, but popular magazines, never shy about probing the secrets of the great and famous, have already decided that the imperial family is about to welcome its first male heir in over 40 years.
Speculation over whether Princess Kiko, 39, the wife of the emperor’s younger son, will give birth to a boy has simmered since an announcement in February that she was pregnant with her third child............................
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayA...n=theworld&col=

Photos from Reuters of Kiko from May 25, 2006

wlee · #**267** 07-27-2006, 10:37 AM

Expectant Princess Kiko in stable condition: agency

(Kyodo) _ Princess Kiko, pregnant with a possible heir to Japan's imperial throne and who was diagnosed with a complication last week, is in stable condition, the Imperial Household Agency said Thursday.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060727/kyodo/d8j49dao6.html

Al_bina · #**268** 07-27-2006, 01:43 PM

It is my observation, but the Imperial Household Agency governs the Japanese Imperial family affairs entirely. This particular Agency seems to meddle too much into private affairs of Imperial family and poison them. I am fond of the Japanese culture (i.e., cuisine, literature, history, art). I am fascinated with the Japanese demeanor and striving for perfection, which has been developed through many centuries. However, this blind and somewhat stubborn desire to cling to traditions of having only a male heir is quite unreasonable and impolite.

Mari_* · #**269** 07-27-2006, 02:15 PM

So Aiko won't be the heiress anymore?

princess olga · #**270** 07-27-2006, 02:18 PM

Totally agree with you Al_Bina.

This pregnancy seems orchestrated for some reason. And I cannot imagine how crown princess Masako, who gave up her stellar diplomat career only to languish in agony over the fact she could only give the Japanese a daughter, must now feel.

That royal family realy has some huge blind spots if you ask me. And sure sure, that is always blamed on the sycophants twirling around this family influencing everything, but come on, now, the emperor and his family are humans, right? They aren't a bunch of Toyota-designed drones, right? They should speak out and do something (to be fair, Masako's husband has tried). I sense a clear arrogance in this family that I don't sense in the royal families of Europe or Thailand.

princess olga · #**271** 07-27-2006, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soCal girl

I wonder how Kiko feels right now. She may have to deal with the stress and uncertainty of an early birth. I feel like enough is already on her plate right now.

I rather wonder how Masako must feel in all this. This is a huge insult to her, could nt be bigger, not in a so traditional royal household. Disgusting is what it is. Poor Masako, I wonder whether she will ever recover from her depression now that she is clearly given a head's up that she's failed the family and the nation. Again, I am quite disgusted. :(

princess olga · #**272** 07-27-2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kimebear

These are the same people who do not even allow Masako to call her own parents.

..And here I was thinking that the nonsense surrounding that family went out the window at the end of world war 2, when the then-emperor publicly admitted he wasn't a god after all.
If I were Masako, I wouldn't stand being treated so inhumanely. Again, what kind of family would allow their members being treated like this? Japan should really get a clue regarding its royal family, this is getting ridiculous.

fandesacs2003 · #**273** 07-27-2006, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princess olga

I rather wonder how Masako must feel in all this. This is a huge insult to her, could nt be bigger, not in a so traditional royal household. Disgusting is what it is. Poor Masako, I wonder whether she will ever recover from her depression now that she is clearly given a head's up that she's failed the family and the nation. Again, I am quite disgusted. :(

Hello to everybody

Totally agree with you. Its a hapiness to have a baby and I hope that Princess Kiko and her baby will be OK, but this story is so disgusting for Princess Masako, but also for all women in Japan. It seems SOoooo that this pregnancy has been programmed, for the ONLY reason, to obtain a boy for this throne and ato throw Aiko away.
IMO, Masako, should have regretted millions of time to have give up to her carreer and have marry the Prince. I believe that he loves and supports her, but he is also "neutralised"

what a shame

soCal girl · #**274** 07-27-2006, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mari_*

So Aiko won't be the heiress anymore?

Well, that's still to be decided technically. The future of Aiko rests on Kiko's unborn child. If the baby is a boy, which many people speculate, then there probably will not be a change and the baby boy will be the future Emperor of Japan. If the baby is a girl, well the IHA are either going to cook up a wacky plan or accept the fact that Aiko one day will be their Empress. I guess we'll have to see....

Thomas Parkman · #**275** 07-27-2006, 08:41 PM

It would serve them right now wouldn't it?? The whole thing is horrible. But then if Masako had not been subjected to the huge stress and I strongly suspect subtle but very brutal abuse of which the Japanese are such past masters she might well have given birth to more than one child, in fact two or three. In which case this senario would never have need developed. Nor would it cast a lurid glow on what should be a happy event. A princess of the Imperial Family is about to have her third child. the gender of the child would then not be such an issue. After all women have children all the time and most if not all of the time it is a happy event. A little kindness is much needed here, something one does not think of when one thinks of the robots in the IMperial Household Agency. Cheers. Thomas Parkman

Alexandria · #**276** 07-27-2006, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by princess olga

That royal family realy has some huge blind spots if you ask me. And sure sure, that is always blamed on the sycophants twirling around this family influencing everything, but come on, now, the emperor and his family are humans, right? They aren't a bunch of Toyota-designed drones, right? They should speak out and do something (to be fair, Masako's husband has tried). I sense a clear arrogance in this family that I don't sense in the royal families of Europe or Thailand.

I don't think it's as easy as this to incite change. The Chrysanthemum throne is embedded in hundreds of years, centuries even, of history and protocol. And even though it's 2006 such history and protocol can't be turned upside down (as in their eyes allowing Aiko to be heiress would mean) in just a few years, no matter what kind of emotional or psychological toll had been experienced by Michiko and Masako.

I always think of Sarah Ferguson on various talk shows after her divorce when she would talk about the "Grey Men" of the British royal court and how they watched your every move and had to approve anything and everything you did. If the British royal court, which is considerably more progressive in comparison to the Japanese court, had such a hard time with allowing Diana and Fergie some freedom and making them some allowances, then I can imagine how practically impossible it would be for any concessions to be made for Masako and for Aiko to be Empress one day by her own merits of being her father's first born.

I do think that the members of the Imperial family care about Masako and her ill-health, but at the same time I think they realize that the system is bigger than them and that there isn't much they can do for her. Her husband tried and I think that speaks volumes about the kind of man he is and how he's been willing to challenge the court much to the dismay of his father, but little (if any) change occured as a result of Naruhito's comments.

I admit that I don't know much about the imperial court and I hope that someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I suspect that Akihito does not have as much influence as some of his other counterparts in the running of his court or his duties. Margrethe of Denmark and Beatrix of the Netherlands for example are two monarchs whom I think have some influence in their courts that if they said that their daughter-in-laws should not be subjected to something, they wouldn't be. Beatrix for example was able to secure parking passes for her van Vollenhoven nephews, which is apparently very rare in Holland since parking spaces is so limited.

And on numerous occasions British prime ministers through the years have commented on how much they look up to Queen Elizabeth and how they seek out her advice because she's seen so much history and she knows the history of the country so well. I don't hear that often of Akihito. Even in Spain, despite the trepadations of the monarchy and auspicious start of Juan Carlos' reign, he is greatly admired and has a significant presence in his country that I don't sense from Akihito. And even in Spain, laws to change succession rights that would allow Leonor to become queen rather than a younger brother, have been slow to happen. Politicians on all fronts agree that allowing a younger brother to succeed Leonor is an archaic law but change has been slow to happen as it happens on multiple levels of governments and governments of course have their own agenda that they want to push through and Leonor being Queen isn't necessarily a priority for them. I imagine that in Japan this is a similar story.

Vanesa · #**277** 07-27-2006, 11:31 PM

Please, people...We may not agree with other countries ideas and laws...But they are their ideas and laws. If they wants to change, it must be THEM who decide it, not us, we are foreigns. Modern world is used to act as if all countries had an external rule to them. THIS is disgusting to me.

I like countries being different between them. Now, is like we have all a common governement who is always saying: "...It's impossible you tolerate this any more...". "This kind of clothes are absolete. We must abolish them". "You can't do this any more". If we accept this, true freedom (who is founded in diversity) is dead.

I would like that Princess Aiko would have been the heiress. But if Japanese people doesn't want it, is not my affair. Is not our affair. Please, let them to decide.

Vanesa.

**Elspeth** · #**278** 07-28-2006, 12:18 AM

Well, I understand what you're saying about showing sensitivity toward other cultures, but I'm sure that our expressing our opinions here isn't going to make any difference to the eventual outcome; I very much doubt that the IHA is remotely interested in what we're saying. As long as we're aware that our opinions are probably of very little if any interest to most Japanese people, I think we can go ahead and express them as long as the thread doesn't start getting too political.