something very special was going to happen on that day.

I hope that even in your new life you will continue to be a good member of society while looking after your household.

Hiro (the Crown Prince) was kind and often gave me words of encouragement. Aya (Prince Akishino) was a child who was sensitive and considerate; at the same time, there were times when he seemed to keep an eye on me out of concern so that I would not fail to recognize the truth about myself. When Hiro told me that I looked young for my age, Aya came to me that night and corrected his brother's remark with a straight face, saying,

Sayako was a child who would first come over to me serenely and say, 'Don't mind,' whenever I was disappointed about a mistake I made or about something that happened unexpectedly. This situation has not changed even to this day, and there are times when His Majesty talks about Sayako, and says, 'What happened to our Miss Don't Mind...?' How fondly we will remember and miss this tender and heart-warming 'Don't mind' in the days to come,

While creating as quiet an environment as possible, I would like to watch over the recovery of the Crown Princess,

Sayako was a child who would be the first to come to me serenely and say, 'Don't mind,' whenever I was disappointed about a mistake I had made or about something that had happened unexpectedly,