Sanesuke fell passionately in love with Princess Enshi, who was Emperor Kazan's court lady, but had no child of his own born by Enshi, and in his later years, suffering from Alzheimer's disease, he had relationships with women at random, making his political disciple, Uji Kanpaku Yorimichi (who had a very small number of wives) lament about his love affairs.
花山天皇の女御・婉子女王と大恋愛して結婚したが子供に恵まれず、晩年アルツハイマー型認知症が進行してからは焦りのために手当たり次第に手を出し、政治上の弟子である宇治関白頼通（彼は妻が非常に少ない）を嘆かせている。