AHC: Japanese Royal Family marries into some European Royal Families

A Japanese princess marrying into the Windsor line would be headlines in Europe and the West, but have no bearing on the Chrysanthemum throne; as has been pointed out elsewhere the Japanese Imperials can only recognize a male heir of male descent. Still this could be played with, in several ways:
1. Prince William, Harry, or for that matter Crown Prince Charles or one of his brothers marries a Japanese Princess. The reaction would depend on just when this happens.
2. Going further back, and in the same vein, could someone have suggested a marriage between the Japanese and British line out of diplomacy? Granting an ASB, it could be a suggestion to fend off problems down the road between the two empires. Of course the times would favor a British Prince/Japanese Princess union; the most likely choices would be from the sons of King George V and the daughters of Emperor Showa. Still, this might just affect the course of events leading up to WWII, some far-sighted diplomat may have suggested this.
3. The rules of the Line of Succession in England have been changed so that the eldest child of the monarch, be it boy or girl, would be the one designed in direct line for the throne. At present Kate, wife of the eldest son of Crown Prince Charles is pregnant. Should her child be a girl, this child would then be third in the Windsor line; this girl would also be in appropriate age for a betrothal to the six-year old Prince Hisahito, and only recognized heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan (Crown Prince Naruhito has no sons).
 
Last edited:
I lived near Emperor Nintoku's tomb for 16 years and heard from numerous locals that the IHA blocked excavation on those exact grounds.

I could see a modern royal princess marrying a European royal - HIH Tsuguko being a prime candidate as suggested earlier.

Thanks, nice to know other folks have heard of this.
 
I can't think of a way to have an actual Royal marriage alliance, but I think I have a semi-plausible way to have the current Emperor of Japan be 1/4 English.

It all starts with Countess (伯夫人) Iso Mutsu, nee Gertrude Ethel Passigham. She was an Englishwoman who married a Japanese count. Both sets of parents were against it, but eventually Count Mutsu secured the blessing of Emperor Meiji.

The countess was a close friend of the imperial family, and served as an English tutor for the Showa Emperor's younger brother, Prince Chichibu. Historically, the countess had a son, Ian Mutsu. (One of my friends, a professor at the university of Tokyo, knew him before he died. He once told me that he was quite jealous of Ian Mutsu because "he was equally at home in Western or Japanese society". Apparently he was a pretty neat guy.:))

Historically, Prince Chichibu never had any children, as his wife's only pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. But let's say that they gave birth to a son. Let's further say that the countess gives birth to a daughter, instead of a son. It makes sense that she would occasionally bring her daughter along with her to her meetings with the imperial family.

At some point after 1933, Prince Chichibu's son marries Countess Mutsu's daughter. Some people are against a member of the royal family marrying a half-English woman. However, the woman is a member of Japanese nobility, as the daughter of a Count. In addition, there seems to be very little chance of him ever taking the throne. By this time, Emperor Showa has already had a son, who is the presumptive heir to the throne. So, the marriage goes forward.

After this, something happens to eliminate Emperor Showa and his issue. The son is easy. He dies in childhood as a result of illness (historically, Prince Chichibu suffered from tuberculous.) Emperor Showa either gets assassinated by a Korean terrorist, or dies in a bombing raid, or is forced to abdicate after the war (as some members of the Imperial Family wanted).

At any rate, Prince Chichibu becomes emperor. When he finally dies, in the 90's or so, his son becomes emperor. There you go, the Emperor of Japan is 1/4 English.:)
 
Last edited:
I can't think of a way to have an actual Royal marriage alliance, but I think I have a semi-plausible way to have the current Emperor of Japan be 1/4 English.

It all starts with Countess (伯夫人) Iso Mutsu, nee Gertrude Ethel Passigham. She was an Englishwoman who married a Japanese count. Both sets of parents were against it, but eventually Count Mutsu secured the blessing of Emperor Meiji.

The countess was a close friend of the imperial family, and served as an English tutor for the Showa Emperor's younger brother, Prince Chichibu. Historically, the countess had a son, Ian Mutsu. (One of my friends, a professor at the university of Tokyo, knew him before he died. He once told me that he was quite jealous of Ian Mutsu because "he was equally at home in Western or Japanese society". Apparently he was a pretty neat guy.:))

Historically, Prince Chichibu never had any children, as his wife's only pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. But let's say that they gave birth to a son. Let's further say that the countess gives birth to a daughter, instead of a son. It makes sense that she would occasionally bring her daughter along with her to her meetings with the imperial family.

At some point after 1933, Prince Chichibu's son marries Countess Mutsu's daughter. Some people are against a member of the royal family marrying a half-English woman. However, the woman is a member of Japanese nobility, as the daughter of a Count. In addition, there seems to be very little chance of him ever taking the throne. By this time, Emperor Showa has already had a son, who is the presumptive heir to the throne. So, the marriage goes forward.

After this, something happens to eliminate Emperor Showa and his issue. The son is easy. He dies in childhood as a result of illness (historically, Prince Chichibu suffered from tuberculous.) Emperor Showa either gets assassinated by a Korean terrorist, or dies in a bombing raid, or is forced to abdicate after the war (as some members of the Imperial Family wanted).

At any rate, Prince Chichibu becomes emperor. When he finally dies, in the 90's or so, his son becomes emperor. There you go, the Emperor of Japan is 1/4 English.:)

I like this! A roundabout but believable scenario that works.
Now the real fun would giving the Japanese royals a claim to the British throne...:cool:
 
Top