His maternal grandfather, Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state) (the Emperor Kiritsubo's Udaijin (Minister of the Right)) passed away, which also led him to call Genji back at last, overcoming the opposition of his mother, and at the age of 32, he abdicated the throne in favor of the Emperor Reizei, his younger brother by a different mother (in fact, he was Genji's son).
外祖父太政大臣（桐壺帝の右大臣）の死去も重なり、最後は母后の反対を押し切り源氏を召還、異母弟冷泉帝（実は源氏の子）に32歳で譲位。