Thus a secret meeting was held in the Imperial Palace with the heads of the five families whose members were eligible for the positions of Sessho and Kanpaku, it was decided to have a temporary Empress until Hidehito was old enough to succeed to the throne in the future, thus the Emperor's half older sister, Princess Toshiko, who had close blood relationship to Prince Hidehito and who maintained neutrality in politics, was appointed to succeed to the throne.
このため、五摂家の当主らが秘かに宮中で会議を開き、英仁親王の将来における皇位継承を前提に中継ぎとしての新天皇を擁立する事が決定、天皇の異母姉である智子内親王が英仁親王と血縁が近く政治的にも中立であるということで桃園天皇の遺詔があったという事にして即位を要請したのである。