THE only daughter of Japan’s Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko married a childhood friend yesterday and began life as a commoner, leaving the royal palace and giving up the title of princess so the wedding could take place.

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'.