While both the Ise no Saigu and the Kamo no Saiin systems coexisted, Saiin near the capital was regarded more important than Ise no Saigu located far from the capital; successive Saiin Priestesses were rarely selected from female relatives of the Emperor, and most of their real mothers were highborn ladies.
伊勢斎宮・賀茂斎院の二つの斎王制度が両立していた間、都に近い斎院の方が遠い伊勢の斎宮よりも重んじられていたようで、歴代斎院は斎宮に比べて女王が少なく、また生母の出自も高い例が多い。