Under Imperial Family Law issued during the Meiji period, the permanent Imperial regulation was decided, to prevent having too many Imperial members, Marquis and Counts were demoted from nobility to subject to protect the Imperial palace.
明治時代に制定された旧皇室典範の下では、永世皇族制を採るものとされたが、皇族（皇親）の増え過ぎを防ぐために、侯爵又は伯爵の爵位を賜り臣籍に下ろし、以て皇室の藩屏たらしめることが行われるようになる。