Since the empress was originally a 'lawful wife of an emperor' (an interpretation of the articles of the Ryo in "Ryo-no-gige" [commentary on the Ryo]), Michitaka forcibly put up Teishi who was the lawful wife of the reigning emperor, as empress, while Junshi, the wife of 'Daijo tenno' (the Retired Emperor) Enyu, stayed as empress.
しかし、道隆は、本来、皇后が「天子の嫡妻」（『令義解』による令の条文の解釈）であることから、現時点ではあくまで「太上天皇」円融の妻である遵子を皇后にとどめたまま、在位の天皇の嫡妻である定子の立后に強引に踏み切った。