The pregnancy of the 39-year-old princess has caught national attention when the news was announced in February. The Imperial House Law bans a female from inheriting the throne, but any male heir to the throne hasn't been born in the imperial family since 1965. Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako have only daughter, Princess Aiko. Princess Kiko's pregnancy raised a hope for a male heir. The gender of the baby hasn't been disclosed.
The Imperial Household Agency announced that Princess Kiko has partial placenta previa, in which part of the placenta drops too low in the uterus. Princess Kiko is going to give birth by Caesarean section in early September. Princess Kiko has been hospitalized since mid August, but it's reported that the princess and the fetus are in good health.
