Princess Aiko turns 23 with her regal destiny uncertain.

Even though her future in the imperial family is still uncertain, popular Princess Aiko of Japan celebrated her 23rd birthday on Sunday by taking on more official responsibilities.

The Imperial Household Agency reports that Aiko, the sole child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, has been working at the Red Cross Society and taking part in official responsibilities and palace ceremonies since graduating from university earlier this year.

However, if she marries outside of the imperial line, she must quit the family and relinquish her royal rank according to Japanese law.

Although conservatives in the ruling party are adamant about maintaining male-only succession, the great majority of Japanese citizens support amending the legislation to let her to continue as a princess and ascend to the throne. The rapidly diminishing Japanese imperial dynasty has only 16 members, including four men.

Aiko was to mark her birthday with her parents at the imperial palace in Tokyo. The IHA also released several photos of Aiko, including one of her standing by a persimmon tree at a palace garden. Another showed her holding pieces of traditional hand-crafted washi paper that she made at a workshop during her first solo official trip in October to the National Sports Festival in Japan’s southwestern prefecture of Saga.

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