When Ietsuna died without an heir, the next younger brother Tsunashige, lord of the Kofu domain, had already died by that time, and a younger brother Tsunayoshi TOKUGAWA, lord of the Tatebayashi Domain, was appointed as a successor.
家綱が後嗣のないまま死去すると、次弟の甲府藩主・綱重がすでに死去していたこともあり、その下の弟の館林藩主・徳川綱吉が後継に擬せられた。