Wearing a simple white dress and pearls, Japan’s Princess Sayako bid farewell to palace life today to wed a Tokyo city employee in a low-key ceremony, marking the first time that an emperor’s daughter had married a 'commoner'.

THE Japanese royal family is set to change its succession laws to enable the three-year-old daughter of the current Crown Prince to become the first Empress for 200 years.

After years of disappointing speculation about suitors, the engagement of Princess Sayako to a Tokyo city bureaucrat, a commoner, became official today with an announcement by Japan’s Imperial Household Agency.

A PRINCE who is heir to the fabulous fortune of the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei married a 17-year-old half-Swiss commoner yesterday in Asia’s wedding of the year, attended by royalty and dignitaries from around the world.

JAPAN’S Crown Princess Masako, under intense pressure to produce a male heir, has been diagnosed by doctors as having an adjustment disorder, a psychological condition caused by stress.

Crown Princess Masako gave birth today to a baby girl and, as Japan celebrated, court messengers placed by its pillow the sword and deep purple robes of silk that are the symbols of its lofty position.

Japan's Prime Minister has indicated he would support a law change to allow a woman to reign.