Deleted
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Sept 28, 2024 3:19:44 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2006 23:22:52 GMT -4
Gossip has it that Princess Kiko is pregnant with a boy-we'll see how that turns out. The Crown Prince and Princess are overseas visiting places (speculation has it that they do it to avoid the sensitive time that Kiko may be giving birth to a male heir), and they were at a photo-op with the Dutch Royals. Perhaps the pressure will be off of Masako once the Kunaichou has a future emperor to fawn over. Or perhaps they'll just drumbeat her to death for her failure to deliver a male heir. Chances are for the latter, and given the Kunaichou's snobbish/elitist/even-though-we-are-nobles-stripped-of-titles-our-toe-nail-clippings are better- than-you-ways, I see difficult days ahead.
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Post by Augustus on Sept 1, 2006 10:31:21 GMT -4
They are holidaying in the Netherlands and staying in one of the Dutch royal family's properties. A dinner with the Belgian and Luxembourg royalty is scheduled as well I've heard, organised by Beatrix, just not an official state dinner.
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heythere
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Sept 28, 2024 3:19:44 GMT -4
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Post by heythere on Sept 5, 2006 20:41:24 GMT -4
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dervorgilla
Footman
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Aug 25, 2006 6:11:39 GMT -4
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Post by dervorgilla on Sept 5, 2006 20:48:28 GMT -4
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kafka
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Sept 28, 2024 3:19:44 GMT -4
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Post by kafka on Sept 5, 2006 21:43:22 GMT -4
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Deleted
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Sept 28, 2024 3:19:44 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2006 2:45:27 GMT -4
Congratulations to the parents and good luck to the newborn prince. He'll need it.
But no congrats to the IHA. Pressuring a 39-year-old-woman to become pregnant to ensure a male transmission, with all the risks included, when it was so simple to change a line in the Constitution allowing a female monarch...argh.
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Deleted
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Sept 28, 2024 3:19:44 GMT -4
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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2006 4:22:38 GMT -4
I wouldn't blame just the IHA though, and changing the constitution isn't so simply done. The miniscule percentage (like 4% or something?) that are opposed to an empress happen to control the country. I hold the whole male-dominated establishment (including the octagenarians who run the big corporations and the parliament) and the right-wingers, nationalists who are still stuck in time responsible for this mess. I mean what do you expect when you have great-great-grandparents making up laws for the country? For analogy, try to think of a whole bunch of fundies running the congress. They are not exactly the most progressive people.
Changing the laws of succession would mean that Aiko would have a prince consort (duh), which would mean (god fobid) another man's genetic makeup introduce to the imperial line, which would break the thousand-year old bloodline straight from Emperor Jinmu, because, well, the male is not of imperial blood. I really think this has more to do with the country's chauvinistic tendencies more than anything else.
The IHA must be beside itself with glee though--they have always favored Princess Kiko to Masako, as the former was groomed to be married into the imperial household. I wouldn't be surprised if a turkey baster was employed in ensuring that she would have a male child.
Edited because one should always read one's hiragana right and Emperor Jinmu is not Emperor Shinbu.
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Post by Augustus on Sept 6, 2006 7:03:42 GMT -4
Well, congrats to the parents, I guess.
Masako must feel some relief now the pressure is gone for her to produce a male heir. A news correspondent here did make a very valid point, what if the laws had changed, it still wouldn't have changed the mentality of the IHA, politicians and some of the population. Aiko would have a really miserable time, considering she'd be an unwanted empress and face lots of opposition from those who were adamantly against it.
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Post by azaleaqueen on Sept 6, 2006 10:06:57 GMT -4
Be funny as hell if Aiko grows up to have a bunch of boys and the newborn prince has only daughters.
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Post by Oxynia on Sept 6, 2006 10:36:30 GMT -4
I've been reading the news reports of the birth and I'm so disgusted by the choice of language, even among western media. Masako has "failed to produce" or was "unable to give birth to" or "did not deliver" a male heir...as if she somehow lacked competence in choosing the gender of her children. It's like saying she failed to impress with her piano skills or was unable to communicate in fluent Japanese or some other task that involves skill of a kind.
What was she meant to do? It's a crapshoot whether one conceives a boy or girl unless there is a medical intervention of some sort. It's one thing for the Japanese establishment to brand her a failure but for the press to jump on that same semantic bandwagon is simply pandering to the rampant chauvinism and jingoism of Japan.
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