During the Emperor Gosuzaku's reign, FUJIWARA no Yorimichi, Kanpaku at that time, made every effort to obtain a position of maternal relative in the wake of his father, Michinaga, but such effort came to nothing; then, while all of this was going on, the Emperor got sick, and passed the throne on to Imperial Prince Chikahito who was his first son and the Crown Prince (Emperor Goreizei).
後朱雀天皇の御世、当時の関白である藤原頼通は、父道長に続いて外戚の地位を得るべく苦心したが徒労に終わり、そうこうしているうちに天皇は病を得て第一皇子で東宮であった親仁親王に譲位する（後冷泉天皇）。