The tragedy of her present state is that she brought so much to a family which often appears stuffy and unnecessarily secretive. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, she was a high-flying career diplomat, speaking English, French, German and Russian, before accepting Naruhito's proposal of marriage in 1992. Her gifts and professional experience are ideally suited to project a favourable image of Japan overseas. Yet the couple have made only five foreign trips in more than 11 years of marriage. Now, the Crown Princess has become a recluse even in her own country; she is like a sick bird in a gilded cage.