Japan's former Princess Mako has welcomed her first child with husband Kei Komuro in New York, the Imperial Household Agency announced on Friday.
The agency confirmed that both mother and child are in good health, though officials did not reveal the baby's gender or name.
Mako Komuro, 33, who is the niece of Emperor Naruhito, left the Japanese royal family in 2021 when she married her former university classmate Kei Komuro - a "commoner".
The former princess was required by law to give up her royal status upon marriage and subsequently moved to New York, where her husband works as a lawyer.
Japan's former Princess Mako has welcomed a new baby years after leaving the royal family
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The birth represents a significant milestone for the couple, who have been living privately in the US since their controversial wedding.
Grand Master of the Crown Prince's Household Naomasa Yoshida announced the birth at a press conference on Friday, explaining the decision to make the news public.
"This is a matter for a person who has left the Imperial Family, and we had hoped that she would spend her time in a quiet environment," Yoshida said, as reported in the Japan Times.
"We decided to make the announcement, however, in light of some media reports about the birth," he added.
The agency's statement came after reports of the birth had already started circulating in the media.
Mako was forced to give up her royal title when she married her former university classmate Kei Komuro, a commoner
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Officials provided few details about the newborn, declining to share the baby's date of birth alongside the undisclosed gender and name.
The announcement marked a rare public statement about Mako's private life since her departure from royal duties.
The couple first met during a college study-abroad event at a restaurant in Tokyo's Shibuya district while they were students at International Christian University. Mako previously said she was first attracted to her future husband's "bright smile".
Komuro proposed to Mako over dinner in December 2013, and they announced their engagement in September 2017.
Mako has her husband have been living in the US since her split from the royal family
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However, their wedding was delayed following a financial scandal involving an unpaid debt allegedly owed by Komuro's mother and suggestions he was marrying for money.
The couple eventually married in a civil ceremony on October 26, 2021, held behind closed doors without the traditional pomp and pageantry of Japanese royal weddings.
Mako forfeited a £1 million payment she was entitled to under Japanese tradition, becoming the first imperial family member since World War Two to not receive the payment while marrying a commoner.
The child marks the first grandchild for Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, Mako's parents. The couple also share children Princess Kako and Prince Hisahito.
Mako is the nephew of Japanese Emperor Naruhito
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Fumihito, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, were said to be delighted at the news and wished the family the greatest happiness.
The birth represents a significant moment for the Japanese imperial family, particularly given the ongoing succession crisis facing the monarchy.
The arrival comes at a time when Japan's strict laws of succession forbid women from ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne and force them to give up their titles if they marry commoners.
The Japanese Royal Family has openly admitted it is "running out" of heirs, with only four male members remaining in the family.
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The Japanese royal family is currently struggling with its restrictive laws of succession
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The decision to leave royal life led to comparisons with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who also turned their backs on royal duties to live privately in the US.
Mako's marriage was met with protests and criticism, with the royal household previously revealing she was suffering from PTSD due to media scrutiny.
At their wedding press conference, Mako defended her decision, describing Kei as "irreplaceable" and saying "our marriage is a necessary step for us to be able to protect our hearts."
She criticised news reports for spreading "false information" and "one-sided rumours" that had caused her "sadness and pain".
Emperor Naruhito made rare comments last year about the imperial family's crisis, stating: "The number of male members of the imperial family is decreasing, they are ageing, and female members of the imperial family leave the imperial family upon marriage."
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