Setsuko, Princess Chichibu

was a member of the Japanese imperial family and the wife of Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu, the second son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. Setsuko was a sister-in-law of Emperor Shōwa and an aunt by marriage of Emperor Akihito.

Early life Setsuko Matsudaira was born on 9 September 1909 in Walton-on-Thames, England, into the prominent Matsudaira family. Her father, Tsuneo Matsudaira, was a diplomat and politician who later served as the Japanese ambassador to the United States (1924) and later to United Kingdom (1928), and still later, Imperial Household Minister (1936–45, 1946–47). Her mother, Nobuko Nabeshima, was a member of the Nabeshima family. Her paternal grandfather, Katamori Matsudaira, was the last daimyō of the Aizu Domain and head of the Aizu-Matsudaira cadet branch of the Tokugawa. Her maternal grandfather, Marquis Naohiro Nabeshima, was the former daimyō of the Saga Domain. Her mother's elder sister, Itsuko (1882–1976), married Prince Morimasa Nashimoto, an uncle of Empress Kōjun. Despite her prestigious heritage, Setsuko was technically born a commoner, but both sides of her family maintained kinship with distinguished kazoku aristocratic families close to the Japanese Imperial Family.

From 1925 to 1928, Setsuko was educated at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. while her father was ambassador to the United States. Setsuko was fluent in English and was sometimes considered to be a Kikokushijo. Upon her return to Japan, Setsuko was chosen by Empress Teimei to marry her second son, Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu, despite the fact she was a commoner. Setsuko married the Prince after her uncle, Viscount Morio Matsudaira, formally adopted her, thus removing the status incongruity between the prince and his bride.

Marriage

On 28 September 1928, aged 19, Setsuko wed Prince Chichibu, and became Princess Chichibu. The bride and groom were eighth cousins, thrice removed, as both were descended from Nabeshima Katsushige, the first lord of Saga.

In 1937, the prince and princess were sent on a tour of Western Europe which took several months. Princess Chichibu felt a great love for the United States and for the United Kingdom and, as an anglophile, was greatly saddened by Japan's entry into the Second World War on the side of the Axis powers.

Widowhood After the Prince's death of tuberculosis in 1953, Princess Chichibu became president of the Society for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, honorary president of the Britain-Japan Society, the Sweden-Japan Society, and an honorary vice president of the Japanese Red Cross The Princess made several semi-official visits to Great Britain and Sweden.

Death Princess Chichibu died from heart failure in Tokyo on 25 August 1995, shortly before her 86th birthday. Princess Chichibu's autobiography, which was published posthumously as The Silver Drum: A Japanese Imperial Memoir, was translated into English by Dorothy Britton.

Honours National Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown, 1st Class - 28 September 1928 boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; 1= 1. Setsuko, Princess Chichibu 2= 2. Matsudaira Tsuneo (1877–1949) 3= 3. Lady Nabeshima Nobuko (1886–1969) 4= 4. Matsudaira Katamori, 9th Lord of Aizu (1836–1893) 5= 5. Kawamura Nagako 6= 6. Marquess Nabeshima Naohiro, 11th Lord of Saga (1846–1921) 7= 7. Hirohashi Nagako (1855–1941) 8= 8. Matsudaira Yoshitatsu, 10th Lord of Takasu (1800–1862) 9= 9. Komori Chiyoko 10= 10. Kawamura Genbei 11= 12= 12. Nabeshima Naomasa, 10th Lord of Saga (1815–1871) 13= 13. Tokugawa Tatsuko (1830–1886) 14= 14. Hirohashi Taneyasu (1819–1876) 15=

Patrilineal descent

Setsuko's patriline is the line from which she is descended father to son.

The existence of a verifiable link between the Nitta clan and the Tokugawa/Matsudaira clan remains somewhat in dispute.

Descent prior to Keitai is unclear to modern historians, but traditionally traced back patrilineally to Emperor Jimmu Emperor Keitai, ca. 450–534 Emperor Kinmei, 509–571 Emperor Bidatsu, 538–585 Prince Oshisaka, ca. 556–??? Emperor Jomei, 593–641 Emperor Tenji, 626–671 Prince Shiki????–716 Emperor Kōnin, 709–786 Emperor Kanmu, 737–806 Emperor Saga, 786–842 Emperor Ninmyō, 810–850 Emperor Montoku 826–858 Emperor Seiwa, 850–881 Prince Sadazumi, 873–916 Minamoto no Tsunemoto, 894–961 Minamoto no Mitsunaka, 912–997 Minamoto no Yorinobu, 968–1048 Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, 988–1075 Minamoto no Yoshiie, 1039–1106 Minamoto no Yoshikuni, 1091–1155 Minamoto no Yoshishige, 1114–1202 Nitta Yoshikane, 1139–1206 Nitta Yoshifusa, 1162–1195 Nitta Masayoshi, 1187–1257 Nitta Masauji, 1208–1271 Nitta Motouji, 1253–1324 Nitta Tomouji, 1274–1318 Nitta Yoshisada, 1301–1338 Nitta Yoshimune, 1331?–1368 Tokugawa Chikasue?????–???? (speculated) Tokugawa Arichika????–???? Matsudaira Chikauji, d. 1393? Matsudaira Yasuchika????–14?? Matsudaira Nobumitsu, c. 1404–1488/89? Matsudaira Chikatada, 1430s–1501 Masudaira Nagachika, 1473–1544 Matsudaira Nobutada, 1490–1531 Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, 1511–1536 Matsudaira Hirotada, 1526–1549 Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1st Tokugawa Shōgun (1543–1616) Tokugawa Yorifusa, 1st Lord of Mito (1603–1661) Matsudaira Yorishige, 1st Lord of Takamatsu (1622–1695) Matsudaira Yoriyuki (1661–1687) Matsudaira Yoritoyo, 3rd Lord of Takamatsu (1680–1735) Tokugawa Munetaka, 4th Lord of Mito (1705–1730) Tokugawa Munemoto, 5th Lord of Mito (1728–1766) Tokugawa Harumori, 6th Lord of Mito (1751–1805) Matsudaira Yoshinari, 9th Lord of Takasu (1776–1832) Matsudaira Yoshitatsu, 10th Lord of Takasu (1800–1862) Matsudaira Katamori, 9th Lord of Aizu (1836–1893) Tsuneo Matsudaira, (1877–1949) Setsuko Matsudaira, (1909–1995)

Footnotes