Buckingham Palace has announced a state visit from the Emperor and Empress of Japan. This announcement came on Tuesday, a day after the Queen held a meeting with senior members of the Royal family to discuss about Prince Harry and Meghan’s future with the royal family and released s statement afterwards.
The Statement reads:
“Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family. Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”
The Queen is set to host state visits from Japan for the third time this year’s spring.
The first was Emperor Showa (Hirohito) and Empress Kojun (Nagako). In October 1971, they made a State Visit to the UK.
The second would be His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus (Akihito) and Her Majesty the Empress Emerita (Michiko) in May 1998.
As part of a three-day visit to the UK, Japanese royals, Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita visited once in 2007 and spent an evening at the Buckingham Palace and again in 2012 to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Here’s the statement from Buckingham Palace:
“Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan have accepted an invitation from Her Majesty The Queen to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom in Spring 2020. Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress (Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako) will stay at Windsor Castle.”
