Japanese princess gives birth to long-awaited boy

TOKYO – Japan’s Princess Kiko yesterday gave birth to the royal family’s first boy in more than 40 years, easing a succession crisis and silencing calls to let a woman lead the world’s oldest monarchy.

Networks broke in with special broadcasts, commuters snapped up extra editions of newspapers and political leaders rushed to offer congratulations for the birth of the long-awaited third in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne. The boy is the first male child to be born to the royal family since his father Prince Akishino, the emperor’s second son, in 1965.For months, Japan’s press was full of fevered speculation on whether it would be a boy or girl, and the palace insisted it had been a secret until the delivery.Princess Kiko, an ever-smiling housewife just one week shy of her 40th birthday, had a smooth Caesarean section to deliver the boy, who weighed a light 2.6 kilogrammes.”The new prince is very healthy and well.He has been crying,” said doctor Masao Nakamura, who performed the Caesarean section operation at Aiiku Hospital.”After the operation, I asked the princess, ‘How do you feel? Congratulations.’ And the princess replied to me, “Thank you.I feel well’,” Nakamura told a press conference.In the first of a series of rituals, Emperor Akihito gave his fourth grandchild a ceremonial 26-centimetre sword to symbolically protect him.The baby will be named in a week’s time and is expected to be out of the hospital within 10 days.The boy’s birth could ease pressure on Crown Princess Masako, a former career woman who has suffered stress and mental illness trying to adapt to the tradition-bound palace and produce a male heir to the throne.Masako and Crown Prince Naruhito have one child, four-year-old Princess Aiko, in 13 years of marriage.Naruhito, the crown prince who in recent years has had public disagreements with his younger brother, received a telephone call from Akishino and congratulated him, the Imperial Household Agency said.Nampa-AFPThe boy is the first male child to be born to the royal family since his father Prince Akishino, the emperor’s second son, in 1965.For months, Japan’s press was full of fevered speculation on whether it would be a boy or girl, and the palace insisted it had been a secret until the delivery.Princess Kiko, an ever-smiling housewife just one week shy of her 40th birthday, had a smooth Caesarean section to deliver the boy, who weighed a light 2.6 kilogrammes.”The new prince is very healthy and well.He has been crying,” said doctor Masao Nakamura, who performed the Caesarean section operation at Aiiku Hospital.”After the operation, I asked the princess, ‘How do you feel? Congratulations.’ And the princess replied to me, “Thank you.I feel well’,” Nakamura told a press conference.In the first of a series of rituals, Emperor Akihito gave his fourth grandchild a ceremonial 26-centimetre sword to symbolically protect him.The baby will be named in a week’s time and is expected to be out of the hospital within 10 days.The boy’s birth could ease pressure on Crown Princess Masako, a former career woman who has suffered stress and mental illness trying to adapt to the tradition-bound palace and produce a male heir to the throne.Masako and Crown Prince Naruhito have one child, four-year-old Princess Aiko, in 13 years of marriage.Naruhito, the crown prince who in recent years has had public disagreements with his younger brother, received a telephone call from Akishino and congratulated him, the Imperial Household Agency said.Nampa-AFP