Head Of Government Of Norway

This is a list of heads of government of Norway. In the modern era, the head of government has the title prime minister ( no, Statsminister). At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward ( no, Rigsstatholder), viceroy ( no, Vicekonge) and first minister ( no, Førstestatsraad)

Until 1873, the King of the personal union between Sweden and Norway governed Norway through two cabinets: one in Stockholm and another in Christiania (now Oslo). The newly created Stockholm cabinet consisted of a prime minister and two ministers, whose role was to convey the attitudes of the Christiania cabinet to the Swedish King. The cabinet in Christiania was led by a steward ( no, Rigsstatholder). For brief periods, the incumbent crown prince was appointed Viceroy of Norway by the King, in which case the viceroy became the highest authority in Christiania. Whenever the King was present in Christiania, however, he assumed the highest authority, thus putting the governor or viceroy temporarily out of charge. Likewise, when there was no governor, viceroy, or king present in Christiania (which was not unusual), the cabinet was led by the first minister, who was the most prominent member of the cabinet.

In July 1873, the position of governor was abolished after being vacant since 1856. Simultaneously, the post of First Minister in Christiania was upgraded to Prime Minister of Norway. Although the office of Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm still existed, the real power and influence over state affairs was moved to the prime minister in Christiania, while prime minister in Stockholm became the second highest cabinet position, responsible for conveying the government's views to the King. When the union was dissolved in 1905, the position of prime minister in Stockholm was abolished.

Stewards of Norway

The Steward of Norway, styled ''Rigsstatholder'' in Danish (''riksstattholder'' in modern Norwegian spelling), meaning ''Royal steward of the realm'' (see Steward), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch during the Dano-Norwegian union. As Norway was a separate kingdom, with its own laws and institutions, the position of steward of Norway was arguably the most influential position for a Danish-Norwegian nobleman or royal to hold, second to the King.

Stewards of Norway (1536/1537 – 1814)

* Peder Hansen Litle (1536/1537 – 1551)
* Jesper Friis (1551 – 1556)
* Christen Munk (1556 – 1572)
* Povel Ottesen Huitfeldt (1572 – 1577)
* Ludvig Ludvigsen Munk til Norlund (9 July 1577 – 1583)
* Ove Juul (acting) (1583 – 1588)
* Axel Gyldenstierne (1588 – 1601)
* Jørgen Friis til Krastrup (1601 – 1608)
* Enevold Kruse til Hjermislov (1608 – 1618)
* Jens Hermansson Juul (1618 – 1629)
* Christoffer Knudsson Urne til Asmark (1629 – 1642)
* Hannibal Sehested (1642 – 24 June 1651)
* Gregers Krabbe (1651 – 20 December 1655)
* Niels Trolle til Trollesholm og Gavnø (1656 – 28 March 1661)
* Iver Tageson Krabbe (8 Oct 1661 – 1664)
* Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, Greve til Laurvig og Tønsberg (Jan 1664 – 1699)
** '' Ove Juul (Vice-Governor-General of Norway under Gyldenløve) (1669 – 5 June 1675)''
** '' Jens Juul (Vice-Governor-General of Norway under Gyldenløve) (5 June 1675 – 9 May 1682)''
** ''Just Högh til Fultofte (Vice-Governor-General of Norway under Gyldenløve) (9 May 1682 – 26 September 1694)''
* Frederik Gabel (30 September 1699 – 1708)
* Johan Vibe (10 April 1708 – 22 Feb 1710)
* Ulrik Frederik Valdemar, Baron Løvendal (1 Aug 1710 – 30 April 1712)
* Claus Henrik Vieregg (4 August 1712 – 14 July 1713)
* Frederik Krag (19 September 1713 – 1722)
* Ditlev Vibe (17 April 1722 – 5 October 1731)
* Patroclus Rømeling (acting) 1731–1733
* Christian, Greve Rantzau (1733–1739)
* Hans Jakob Arnold (acting) (1739 – 11 Sep 1750)
* Jacob von Benzon (11 September 1750 – 8 February 1771)
* Carl, Landgraf zu Hessen (4 July 1766 – January 1768) (acting for von Benzon)
** ''Vacant (8 Feb 1771 – 25 July 1809)''
* Christian August, Prins von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg (25 July 1809 – 11 Jan 1810)
* Frederik, Landgraf zu Hessen-Kassel (11 Jan 1810 – 11 May 1813)
* Christian Frederik, Prins af Danmark (11 May 1813 – 16 Feb 1814)

Split premiership (1814–1905)

First Minister (1814–1873)

:''Prior to 1884, there were no organised political parties in Norway; the prime ministers were considered senior civil servants (''Embedsmenn''). They were appointed by the King and were not subject to legislative confirmation. All Prime Ministers before 1884 opposed the constitutional reforms proposed by the parliamentary opposition, and were in their time viewed as conservatives. The Prime Minister was subordinate to the Steward and Viceroy, and the First Minister was subordinate to the Prime Minister. The de facto head of government was the First Minister.''

Prime Minister in Christiania (1873–1905)

:''In 1873 the office of the First Minister of Norway was upgraded to Prime Minister, based in Christiania. The office of Prime Minister based in Stockholm continued, with responsibility for communicating the policies of the Prime Minister in Christiania to the King, making it subordinate to the office in Christiania. In addition, a separate Prime Minister of Sweden was appointed from 1876 onwards.''

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–present)

In 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. Since then the office of the Prime Minister of Norway has been in Oslo, except for the years of Nazi-German occupation during World War II when the Norwegian government was in exile in London.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–1940)

Heads of Government (1940–1945)

Government sanction by Nazi Germany during the occupation of Norway. The Nygaardsvold exile government (1935–1945) is recognised as the elected government during the occupation.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1945–present)

Timeline

{{Timeline Norwegian PM Horizontal

See also

* List of Norwegian monarchs
* List of Norwegian governments

External links

Norway's Prime Ministers
— A pictorial with portraits of Norway's Prime Ministers (''Aftenposten'')

Prime Ministers of Norway
Norway, List of Prime Ministers of
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