He was the first Emperor since Uda, 170 years earlier, who had no maternal relationship to the FUJIWARA clan (but Princess Teishi was the maternal grandchild of FUJIWARA no Michinaga).
宇多天皇以来170年ぶりの藤原氏を外戚としない天皇となった（ただし、禎子内親王は藤原道長の外孫である）。