The Surprising Thing King Charles and the Emperor of Japan Have in Common (and It All Has to Do with Prince Harry)

Although there aren't too many similarities between the couples, it's worth noting that both have opted to relocate to the U.S. and become financially independent. For instance, Prince Harry and Markle have partnered with brands like Netflix and Spotify to create original content, including a tell-all documentary and a podcast. As for Mako and her partner, both have successful careers in New York—and Mako reportedly turned down a $1.23 million payment that she was entitled to after giving up her royal title. She was hired to work as a curator's assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Kei works as a lawyer.

Additionally, both couples have had to deal with constant media scrutiny after they decided to leave the royal life.

For example, following Mako and Kei's engagement, multiple outlets reported that the latter's mother was involved in a financial dispute, causing many to question his motives for marriage. As a result, Mako released a statement saying that these reports caused her "great fear, stress, and sadness." And according to The Telegraph, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Like Mako, Meghan Markle has also opened up about how the media attention and tabloids affected her mental health. During her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, she even confessed that at one point she “didn’t want to be alive anymore” and was refused support by the royal family. She said, “I went to the Institution, and I said I needed to go somewhere to get help. I was told I couldn’t.”

So, it's safe to say that both King Charles and Emperor Naruhito can understand what it's like to have a relative step away from the royal family while dealing with toxic media attention.

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