TOKYO — Japanese Crown Princess Masako, who disappeared from public view seven months ago, is suffering from a psychological disorder brought on by the pressures of royal life, the palace said yesterday.
It has long been common knowledge in Japan that Princess Masako was unhappy, but the statement from the Imperial Household Agency was the first medical explanation for her long absence from her official duties.
The agency said Princess Masako, 40, has a stress-induced adjustment disorder and has experienced bouts of depression and anxiety. She is undergoing counseling and taking prescription drugs.
Palace spokesman Mitsuhiro Saito said doctors disclosed the princess’ condition after getting permission from her and her husband, Crown Prince Naruhito.
The new revelations offer another peek at the turmoil behind the palace walls.
Prince Naruhito, 44, has said Princess Masako was exhausted from trying to adjust to imperial life and the pressures of producing an heir. The couple have a 2-year-old daughter, but women cannot inherit the throne.
Before a European trip in May, Prince Naruhito lashed out at palace officials for restricting his wife’s activities, saying they wanted to “deny her character.” He also blamed them for her ill health.
The turmoil inside palace walls has stirred calls for reform of the Imperial Household Agency, the conservative government bureaucracy that oversees palace affairs.
Yesterday, the palace said its top priority was letting the princess have her private time to regain her strength.
“We are considering changes to the princess’ official duties,” the agency said, but offered no details.
Recently, the princess felt well enough to play tennis — a sign she is recovering, the agency said.
Japan’s top government spokesman said Princess Masako’s condition didn’t appear serious. “We hope the crown princess quickly recovers. I think that’s what all Japanese hope for,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said.
Princess Masako, a former diplomat who was educated at Harvard and Oxford and is fluent in several languages, has occasionally alluded to the stress of royal life since she married the crown prince in 1993. She had one miscarriage before giving birth to Princess Aiko in December 2001.
The first indication that the princess’ situation had worsened came in December, when she was briefly hospitalized for shingles, a viral infection that can be induced by stress. She hasn’t performed her official duties or accompanied her husband on tours since then.
A month later, Princess Masako said that her health problems “resulted from the accumulation of mental and physical fatigue” in an unfamiliar environment over the past 10 years.
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