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 TOKYO (AP) - Princess Kiko is pregnant, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday, raising the possibility of the first male heir to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 40 years.
The announcement comes as the government considers a plan to allow women to assume the throne for the first time in two centuries in a bid to avert a succession crisis. Kiko's husband, Prince Akishino, is second in line to the throne.
Agency chief Shingo Haketa said both Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko were delighted by the news of Kiko's pregnancy.
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