Princess Chichibu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
||||||||||||
Her Imperial Highness Princess Chichibu (Setsuko) of Japan (jp: 秩父宮妃勢津子, chichibu no miya setsuko shinnō-hi), was born Matsudaira Setsuko, (b. 9 September 1909 in England - d. 25 August 1995 in Tokyo, Japan), the daughter of Matsudaira Tsuneo, sometime Japanese ambassador to the United States and later Great Britain (and still later, Imperial Household Minister), and his wife, the former Nabeshima Nobuko. Although technically born a commoner, she was a scion of the Matsudaira of Aizu, a cadet branch of the Tokugawa dynasty. Her paternal grandfather was, Matsudaira Katamori, the last daimyo of Aizu, who had been created a viscount in the new kazoku in 1884.
[edit] Marriage
On 28 September 1928, she wed HIH Prince Chichibu (it had been an arranged marriage), and she was created Princess Chichibu. Prince and Princess Chichibu had no children. But by all accounts their marriage was filled with love and happiness for each other. Both shared a great love for the United States and for England, and as anglophiles were greatly saddened by Japan's entry into the Second World War. After it was over, they traveled extensively to restore the bonds again.
She wrote her autobiography, which was published posthumously, called "The Silver Drum: A Japanese Imperial Memoir", translated by Dorothy Britton. Even a rose was named in her honour. Princess Chichibu also graduated from the Sidwell Friends School.
