Introduction
In May 2023, His Royal Majesty King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. I would like to offer my warmest congratulations. The ceremony was attended by royalty and heads of state from all over the world, and from Japan, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Fumihito of Akishino was sent in the place of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor (Naruhito).
Since modern times, the Imperial Family of Japan, the oldest living monarch, and the Royal Family of the Commonwealth, the largest monarch, have built a special relationship. In particular, the Imperial Family has attended every coronation since the reign of King Edward VII, leaving behind numerous anecdotes that illustrate the deep relationship between the Imperial Family and the Commonwealth Royal Family. This article looks at the involvement of the Imperial Family in a total of five coronations, from King Edward VII to His Majesty King Charles III.
(at that time Crown Prince)
Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902
The first member of the Imperial Family to travel to the United Kingdom to attend the coronation of a Commonwealth King was Prince Akihito of Komatsu. This was in 1902, on the occasion of the coronation of King Edward VII. Prince Akihito had studied in Britain and was well versed in European affairs, and was also known to have been trusted by the 122nd Emperor Meiji in his important position as a marshal of the Imperial Army.
The Anglo-Japanese Alliance had just been concluded in January of the same year, and the mood of friendship between the two countries was growing. The British side provided accommodation for Prince Akihito at Claridge’s, one of the finest and most famous hotels in London, at government expense. On 23 June, he was also treated to a luncheon at the Mansion House in the same city, the only foreign guest of honour. Such a grand welcome contrasted with the visit of Prince Akihito to Britain in 1881, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign.
During Prince Akihito’s stay in Britain, Prince Akihito presented the King Edward VII with a folding screen on which the Japanese four seasons were embroidered. However, as the coronation was postponed due to the King Edward VII’s poor health, Prince Akihito could not attend the ceremony itself.
Coronation of King George V, 1911
On the occasion of the coronation of King George V in 1911, Prince Yorihito and Princess Kaneko of Higashifushimi were sent by Emperor Meiji. Like Prince Akihito, Prince Yorihito had studied in the United Kingdom and was well known for his knowledge of European affairs. Prince Yorihito was accompanied by two world-famous heroes of the Russo-Japanese War, Navy Admiral Heihachirō Tōgō and Army General Maresuke Nogi.
On 19 June, the Prince received the Grand Cordon of Victoria from Arthur of Connaught. The Japanese side also presented Queen Mary with a small chest of drawers with a chrysanthemum pattern (by Jitoku Akatsuka) as a gift from the Empress Shōken. The Queen was said to be exceptionally moved by the gift. At a reception on the following day, the 20th, King George V was presented with the Order of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum by Prince Yorihito in the Emperor Meiji’s name. 22nd, the coronation was attended by Prince Yorihito and Princess Kaneko, and their attendants, Messrs Tōgō and Nogi. The following day, the 23rd, only the royals and ambassadors representing each country were invited to the banquet, but only Japan’s attendants, Tōgō and Nogi, were also invited. Furthermore, at the Coronation Commemorative Naval Review held at Spithead on 24 June, Prince Yorihito and Princess Kaneko were invited to join the King on board the Victoria and Albert, Tōgō on board the Enchantress and Nogi on board the Brassie. Tōgō was the only foreign military officer to board the Enchantress.
The closeness between the two countries can be said to symbolise the peak of the Anglo-Japanese alliance.
Coronation of King George VI in 1937
In 1937, Prince Yasuhito and Princess Setsuko of Chichibu were sent to the coronation of King George VI. At the time, the Anglo-Japanese alliance had already been broken and relations between the two countries were delicate. Against this background, it is probably clear that both countries hoped that the Prince Yasuhito’s visit to the United Kingdom would trigger a turnaround in diplomatic relations. The British Foreign Office took care that the Prince Yasuhito and Princess Setsuko were treated with due care and security. Arrangements were made for them to be met by the member of the Royal Family on their arrival in Britain. In addition, as the 124th Emperor Shōwa had no son at the time and the Prince Yasuhito was the first in the line of succession to the Imperial throne, the Prince Yasuhito was treated as a de facto Crown Prince and was therefore given a higher seat at the coronation ceremony (partly due to the absence of the Italian Royal Family).
The Dutch Government insisted on a pecking order based on blood rather than status, but Foreign Minister Anthony Eden rejected this, stating that he was firmly opposed to any change that would demean the Prince of Chichibu. On 12 May, the day of the coronation, Prince Yoshihito and Princess Setsuko were at the head of a convoy of representatives from various countries on their way to Westminster Abbey, the venue of the ceremony. The following day, 13 May, there was a dinner at Buckingham Palace, followed by a ball on 14 May and various other festive events. Prince Yasuhito reflects on the series of events as follows:
Participating in this ceremony, in addition to being able to witness the grandeur of foreign countries, representatives of the world, in particular many royals, gathered, I was able to learn more or less about the various circumstances of the various countries, and there were many things that I could consult, and I think the most gratifying thing for me was that I got to see my colleagues and friends well-known to me.
On the 19th, King George VI was awarded the Order of the Chrysanthemum by Prince Yoshihito in the name of the Emperor Shōwa. On the following day, the 20th, at the Coronation Commemorative Viewing Ceremony, Prince Yoshihito and Princess Setsuko embarked on board the battleship Queen Elizabeth, which was situated immediately adjacent to the King’s royal warship Victoria and Albert. Such a treatment was understood to have been exceptional, as diplomatic delegations, including guests of honour from many countries, were designated to embark on the passenger ship Strathmore.
Thus, although Prince Yoshihito’s visit to Britain produced a brief period of friendship between the UK and Japan, unfortunately, it was impossible to go against the current of the times and relations between the two countries soon entered an unfortune period.
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
In 1953, Crown Prince Akihito (now His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Emeritus) was sent to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. At that time, not long after World War II, there was still a deep-rooted anti-Japanese feeling in the United Kingdom. Some of the places originally scheduled for the Crown Prince Akihito’s visit, such as Newcastle, were cancelled and the tone of the popular presses was strongly anti-Japanese, far from a welcoming mood.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill came up with a plan. On 30 April, two days after Crown Prince Akihito arrived in London, Churchill hosted a welcome luncheon for Crown Prince Akihito and, with his characteristic British humour, he lectured Crown Prince Akihito for about 10 minutes on advantages of the Commonwealth-style constitutional monarchy. This was clearly Churchill’s way of venting his fears that the anti-Japanese sentiment’s negative effects on the coronation, as he addressed the opposition party leaders, businessmen and newspaper executives who were present at the invitation of the British Government. Churchill’s plan worked brilliantly, and from that day onwards, the tone of the media became more conciliatory towards Japan.
The meeting between Crown Prince Akihito and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip took place on 5 May, when Emperor Shōwa’s words and the couple’s acknowledgements were exchanged. From the following 6 to 17 May, Crown Prince Akihito attended a series of parties hosted by the Commonwealth as well as other countries’ royals, impressing the various royal families with Japan’s return to the international community.
Nevertheless, Japan remained in a difficult position: at the coronation on 2 June, Crown Prince Akihito was ushered into the last seat. Four days later, on 6 June, a Derby viewing at Epsom Racecourse was organised. After the first race, Queen Elizabeth II’s envoy was sent to Crown Prince Akihito and was invited to sit next to Queen Elizabeth II. This was a staging of Anglo-Japanese friendship by the Commonwealth Royal Family and symbolised the resumption of royal diplomacy between Britain and Japan.
Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in 2023
In 2023, His Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko of Akishino attended the coronation of His Royal Majesty King Charles III. His Highness, like his brother His Imperial Majesty the Emperor (Naruhito), has studied at the University of Oxford and is known to have close contacts with members of the Commonwealth Royal Family.
Despite the fact that it is early days since the ceremony of proclamation of the crown prince, His Highness has been given a front-row seat at the coronation among the Crown Princes of all countries (customarily, in the order of reign), which appears to be a generous treatment by the Commonwealth Royal Family in consideration of their special relationship with the Imperial Family. There were positive reports of the friendly exchange of words between His Highness and His Majesty. The kimono worn by Her Highness also attracted attention as beautiful fashion and was the talk of the local pro-Japanese and Japanophiles.
Crown Prince Fumihito and
Crown Princess Kiko of Kaishino
Conclusion
As can be seen, the Imperial Family and the Commonwealth Royal Family have overcome a period of unfortunate and developed a deep relationship. Particularly on the occasion of the coronation in the Commonwealth, we can see that a number of interesting events have taken place.
With the Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress (Masako) expected to visit the United Kingdom as state guests in the near future, it will be interesting to see how the relationship between the two countries develops.
REFERENCES
Prince Yasuhito, Prince Setsuko, A Memoir of the Life in Britain and America: Their Imperial Highnesses Prince of Chichibu [英米生活の思い出 秩父宮殿下、秩父宮妃殿下] Tōkyō: Bunmeisha, 1947
Ogasawara, Nagao, et al., eds. Prince Yorihito [依仁親王]. Tōkyō: Higashifushimi no Miya Ke, 1922.
Nishikawa, Megumi, Why Is the Imperial Family of Japan Respected Around the World? [皇室はなぜ世界で尊敬されるのか]. Tōkyō: Shinchōsha, 2019.
Yoshida, Yukiko, King George VI and Prince of Chichibu: The Whisper of Leaves at Grosvenor Square [ジョージ六世戴冠式と秩父宮 グローヴナー・スクエアの木の葉の囁き]. Tōkyō: Shinjinbutsuōraisha, 1996.
Kornicki, Peter, Best, Antony, and Cortazzi, Hugh, eds. British Royal and Japanese Imperial Relations 1868-2018: 150 Years of Association, Engagement and Celebration. Folkstone: Renaissance Books, 2019.
Sasakawa Peace Foundation. URL: https://www.spf.org/en/
Royal Collection Trust. URL: https://www.rct.uk/
HIROHITO TSUJI OFFICIAL BLOG 