Prince of Teiko

The Prince of Teiko is the head of the Royal House of Teiko and is the ceremonial head of state of Teiko's system of constitutional monarchy. According to the 1985 Teiko constitution, he is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people." The latest Prince to ascend the throne is Prince Kazuhito who ascended the throne on the abdication of his father, Prince Masayuki, on 22 December 1986. Kazuhito passed away in 19 November 2016 due to complications in the heart. In June 30, the Supreme Court of Teiko ruled that the Teiko Succession Laws does not prohibit a minor from succeeding to the Throne of Teiko. In 1 July 2017, Kiyoshi will begin his rule as the 6th Prince of Teiko. In August 1, Prince Taishi of Nakagawa was appointed by Regent by Prince Kiyoshi while uncle Prince Chinen retained his position as Kampaku.

The Prince and his immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. As the Prince is constitutional, he is limited to non-partisan functions such as bestowing honours and inaugurating the premier. The Prince is, by tradition, commander-in-chief of the Teiko Royal Military which powers he may delegate to the premier. Though the ultimate formal executive authority over the government of the Federal Kingdom of Teiko is still by and through the Prince's royal prerogative, these powers may only be used according to laws enacted in Council and, in practice, within the constraints of convention and precedent.

Modern role
By constitution, the Prince of Teiko remains the official head of state of Teiko although in practice all political powers are vested within the elected Premier and Members of the Council. Despite this, the Prince retains several of his reserve power which are divided into two groups, royal prerogative and royal order.
 * Royal order is a government federal decree in the view of practically implementing the application as a law. Thus practically, all laws of Teiko that are passed by the Teiko Royal Council and approved by the premier are royal orders from the Prince.
 * Royal prerogative is the power of the prince to exercise his royal privilege.

The Prince takes little direct part in Government. However, he retains a considerable amount of reserve powers:
 * Royal assent – the prince may give absolute veto to any legislation passed by the council
 * Prerogative of Mercy – the prince may grant pardons, reprieve, commutation and respites to any guilty criminal trialed in a civilian court
 * Awarding of honors and titles – the prince may grant nobility titles and other awards provided by law
 * Appointment of Privy Council
 * Creation of corporations by royal charter
 * Command of the Teiko Royal Military

The Prince also have ceremonial roles namely:
 * Inauguration of premier as elected by the people
 * Appointment of the members of the Supreme Court as recommended by the premier and approved by the Council
 * Attestation of the appointment and dismissal of state ministers and other officials as provided for by law, and of full powers and credentials of ambassadors and ministers
 * Convocation and dissolution of the Teiko Royal Council in advice of the premier
 * Receiving of foreign diplomats and ambassadors
 * Performance of other ceremonial functions.

History
The origin of the Prince of Teiko traces back its origin in 1891 but it wasn't until 1895 after Teiko's successful independence campaign from then Imperial Japan that such title was officially adopted. The formation of the Throne of Teiko was supported by several samurai and daimyo significantly by Himura Kenshin and Seta Sōjirō who have seen the need to reinstate the Kuroko clan as the head of the state. Historically, the Kuroko clan have played a pivotal role in ending the Mibu shogunate and the Mibu clan's hegemony which lead to Teiko's rapid modernization. In October 1895, Kuroko Tetsuya took the name Prince Akihiro and became the country's first Prince.

In 1895 until 1985, the Prince held most of the executive power which includes absolute veto and dissolution of the Teiko Royal Council upon his will. The Prince's absolute power led to the 1984 Teiko Constitutional Crises, constitutional reforms in 1985 now limits the responsibility of the Prince to that of a ceremonial figure while maintaining key roles. In 2016, Prince Kazuhito passed away leaving his heir, Crown Prince Kiyoshi a minor. Due to the lack of regency laws, the throne remains vacant as lawmakers debate the future of the Teikonian monarchy.