Princess Yuriko, the wife of wartime Emperor Hirohito’s brother and the oldest member of Japan’s imperial family, passed away at the age of 101 on Friday in a Tokyo hospital, Imperial Household Agency has confirmed.
Yuriko was born in 1923 and married to Prince Mikasa in 1941, the younger brother of Hirohito and the uncle of current Emperor Naruhito.
The tragic news comes months after Emperor Naruhito’s historic trip to the UK.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla welcomed Japanese Emperor and Empress to Buckingham Palace in June. At the time, a foreign ministry official said it was hoped the visit would forge “friendly relations across generations”.
Yuriko raised five children and supported Mikasa’s research into ancient Near Eastern history. She took part in philanthropic activities. She outlived her husband and all three sons.
The youngest male member of the imperial family, Prince Hisahito — the nephew of Emperor Naruhito — is currently the last heir apparent, posing a major problem for a system that doesn’t allow empresses.
Yuriko had lived a healthy life as a centenarian before suffering a stroke and pneumonia in March. She was hospitalised after her stroke and had been in and out of intensive care since then. Her overall condition deteriorated over the past week, the Imperial Household Agency said.
