It is commonly known that other hereditary Imperial Families such as; Katsuranomiya, Arisugawanomiya, Kaninnomiya, and including Fushiminomiya, were able to succeed to positions of Imperial princes and maintain the Imperial succession, because they enjoyed the special privilege of the family, not because they had close blood lines to the main family.
伏見宮家のほか、桂宮・有栖川宮・閑院宮の各世襲親王家に共通することであるが、これら4家が親王の地位を世襲し皇位継承権を維持できたのは、血縁によるものではなく、あくまでも家の特権としてである。