It was recently announced by the Imperial Household Agency that His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan had to cancel his upcoming visit to France.

The heir to the Japanese throne was scheduled to give a speech during the 2012 World Water Forum held in Marseille, France on March 12-17.  The reason for Crown Prince Naruhito’s cancellation according to the IHA, “… he will carry out official duties on behalf of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito…”  The Emperor, as you may know by now, is recovering from heart bypass surgery which was performed on February 18, 2012.

Source: JiJi Press via the Imperial Household Agency