The Imperial Princess Takako was the Emperor's only child and there was no crown prince, and so his younger paternal half-brother Ade no Miya (the Imperial Prince Satohito, later the Emperor Reigen) hastily became the crown prince while another younger paternal half-brother Hanamachi no Miya (the Imperial Prince Nagahito) ascended the throne as the Emperor Gosai, a relay successor for the time being until Ade no Miya matured.
しかし天皇の子女は孝子内親王のみで皇嗣たる男子がなかったため、急遽異母弟の高貴宮（識仁親王、のちの霊元天皇）を皇嗣とし、高貴宮が成長するまでの中継ぎとして同じく異母弟の花町宮良仁親王が後西天皇として即位した。