In October 1867, Yoshinobu TOKUGAWA, the fifteenth Seii Taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians"), gave up political power to the Imperial Court by the Taiseihokan (restoration of imperial rule) and he expected to have great influence over the potential newly established Lords Conference through his potential role as the president of the conference.
慶応3年（1867年）10月大政奉還により政権を朝廷へ返上した15代征夷大将軍徳川慶喜は、新設されるであろう諸侯会議の議長として影響力を行使することを想定していた。