Unlike other Tokugawa gosanke (three privileged branches of Tokugawa family), the Owari-Tokugawa family and the Kishu-Tokugawa family, the Mito-Tokugawa family was not allowed to produce an heir at the time of extinction of the shogunate family, and official court rank was low status, Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of state), and kokudaka (crop yield) was two hundred thousands Goku crop yields smaller than others.
水戸徳川家は同じ御三家である尾張徳川家や紀州徳川家のように、将軍家断絶の際の嗣子を輩出することは許されず、官位も権中納言と低く石高も両家に比べ表高で20万石ほど小さかった。