The seven female monarchs who reigned before Go-Sakuramachi were Suiko, Kōgyoku (Saimei), Jitō, Gemmei, Genshō, Kōken (Shōtoku), and Meishō.
Empress | empress | Empress Matilda | Empress Suiko | Empress Michiko | Empress Dowager Cixi | Empress Shōken | Empress Elisabeth of Austria | Empress of Britain | Empress of Blandings | Empress Myeongseong | Beatrice of Sicily, Latin Empress | Holy Roman Empress | Empress of Canada | Empress Feng (Wencheng) | Battle of Empress Augusta Bay | SS ''Empress of Asia'' | Rasputin and the Empress | Empress Yu Wenjun | Empress Yang Lihua | Empress Xin | Empress Wang Zhi | Empress of Russia | Empress Kōken | Empress Jitō | Empress Cheonchu | Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress | RMS Empress of China | RMS ''Empress of China'' | RMS Empress of Asia |
Prince Ōtsu was a popular and able figure who was a likely successor of his father to the imperial throne, but was forced to commit suicide after false charges of rebellion were laid against him by Empress Jitō in order to promote her own son, Prince Kusakabe, to the position of crown prince.