Governor-General of Norway

Governor-general of Norway
Rigsstatholder (Danish) Riksståthållare (Swedish)
Longest serving Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve 1664–1699
Appointer	The King
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation	1556
First holder	Christen Munk
Final holder	Severin Løvenskiold
Abolished	1873

The governor-general of Norway (Danish: Rigsstatholder or Swedish: Riksståthållare, both meaning 'lieutenant of the realm' (see stadtholder)), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the monarch, during the union with Denmark and Sweden.

Etymology

(Norwegian: Stattholder) means "steward". Its component parts literally translate as "place holder," or as a direct cognate, "stead holder", it was a term for a "steward" or "lieutenant". However, this is not the word for the military rank of lieutenant, which is løytnant in Norwegian.

Governors-general (Denmark–Norway)

See also: Denmark–Norway

The office of Governor-general of Norway was established in 1556 and was occupied with occasional interruptions until 1814. The Governor-general was normally at the same time Lensherre (Governor) of Akershus len (after 1662; Akershus amt), and was the highest authority in the country.

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Monarch(s)	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
-		Munk, ChristenChristen Munk (c. 1520–1579)	1556	1572	15–16 years	Christian III Frederick II
1		Huitfeldt, PovelPouel Ottesen Huitfeldt (c. 1529–1592)	1572	1577	4–5 years	Frederick II
2		Munk, LudvigLudvig Munk (c. 1532–1602)	9 July 1577	1583	5–6 years	Frederick II
3		Gyldenstjerne, AxelAxel Gyldenstjerne (c. 1537–1603)	1588	1601	12–13 years	Christian IV
4		Friis, JørgenJørgen Friis (c. 1543–1616)	1601	1608	6–7 years	Christian IV
5		Kruse, EnevoldEnevold Kruse (c. 1554–1621)	1608	1618	9–10 years	Christian IV
6		Juel, JensJens Hermansson Juel (1580–1634)	1618	1629	10–11 years	Christian IV
7		Urne, ChristopherChristoffer Urne (1593–1663)	1629	1642	12–13 years	Christian IV
8		Sehested, HannibalHannibal Sehested (1609–1666)	1642	24 June 1651	8–9 years	Christian IV Frederick III
9		Krabbe, GregersGregers Krabbe (1594–1655)	1651	20 December 1655	3–4 years	Frederick III
10		Trolle, NielsNiels Trolle (1599–1667)	1656	28 March 1661	4–5 years	Frederick III
11		Krabbe, IverIver Krabbe (1602–1666)	8 October 1661	1664	2–3 years	Frederick III
12		Gyldenløve, UlrikUlrik Frederik Gyldenløve (1638–1704)	January 1664	1699	34–35 years	Frederick III Christian V
13		Gyldenløve, UlrikFrederik Gabel (c. 1640–1708) Vice governor-general	30 September 1699	1708	8–9 years	Frederick IV
14		Vibe, JohanJohan Vibe (1634–1710) Vice governor-general	10 April 1708	22 February 1710	1 year, 318 days	Frederick IV
15		Gyldenløve, WoldemarWoldemar Løvendal (1660–1740)	1 August 1710	30 April 1712	1 year, 273 days	Frederick IV
16		Vieregg, ClausClaus Henrik Vieregg (1655–1713) Vice Governor-general	4 August 1712	14 July 1713	344 days	Frederick IV
17		Krag, FrederikFrederik Krag (1655–1728) Vice governor-general	19 September 1713	1722	8–9 years	Frederick IV
18		Vibe, DitlevDitlev Vibe (1670–1731)	17 April 1722	5 October 1731	9 years, 171 days	Frederick IV Christian VI
19		Rantzau, ChristianChristian Rantzau (1684–1771)	1733	1739	7–8 years	Christian VI
Office vacant (1739–1750)
20		Benzon, JacobJacob Benzon (1688–1775) Vice Governor-general (1750-1770) Governor-general (1770-1771)	11 September 1750	8 February 1771	20 years, 150 days	Frederick V Christian VII
-		CharlesPrince Charles of Hesse-Kassel (1744–1836) Acting	4 July 1766	January 1768	1 year	Christian VII
Office vacant (8 February 1771 – 25 July 1809)
21		August, CharlesCharles August, Crown Prince of Sweden (1768–1810)	25 July 1809	11 January 1810	170 days	Frederick VI
22		FrederikPrince Frederik of Hesse (1771–1845)	11 January 1810	11 May 1813	3 years, 120 days	Frederick VI
23		Frederik, ChristianChristian Frederik af Danmark (1786–1848)	11 May 1813	16 February 1814	281 days	Frederick VI

Governors-general (Sweden–Norway)

See also: Union between Sweden and Norway

The following describes the office of governor as it was from 1814 during the union with Sweden:

The office came into existence by the Norwegian Constitution, of 4 November 1814 where the paragraphs 12, 13 and 15 stipulated that a governor-general of Swedish or Norwegian nationality could be appointed. The governor-general resided in Christiania (today Oslo) and led the Government in the absence of the monarch, when he resided in his Swedish capital Stockholm. The Council was normally led by the governor-general, who had two votes, unless the Monarch was present, at which point he would lose his authority and merely become the first among equals, or prime minister of the council.

The post was held by Swedish appointees from 1814 until 1829, when it was vacated by natural causes. Protests left the position empty until 1836, when it was filled by a Norwegian appointee. He was succeeded in 1841 but the successor Severin Løvenskiold laid down his office in 1856, after which it would not be reinstated. The demand to abandon the office completely was ultimately granted in 1873 by King Oscar II.

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Monarch(s)	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		von Essen, Hans HenricCount Hans Henric von Essen (1755–1824)	1814	1816	1–2 years	Charles XIII & II
2		Carlsson Mörner, CarlCount Carl Carlsson Mörner (1755–1821)	1816	1818	1–2 years	Charles XIII & II
3		Sandels, Johan AugustCount Johan August Sandels (1764–1831)	1818	1827	8–9 years	Charles XIV & III John
4		von Platen, BaltzarCount Baltzar von Platen (1766–1829)	1827	1829	1–2 years	Charles XIV & III John
Office vacant (1829 – 1836)
5		Wedel-Jarlsberg, Johan Caspar HermanCount Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg (1779–1840)	1836	1840	3–4 years	Charles XIV & III John
Office vacant (1840 – 1841)
6		Løvenskiold, SeverinSeverin Løvenskiold (1777–1856)	1841	1856	14–15 years	Charles XIV & III John Oscar I
Office vacant (1856 – 1873) Then it was abolished

See also

• List of Norwegian monarchs
• List of Norwegian Prime Ministers
• Union between Sweden and Norway

Sources and references

• WorldStatesmen – Norway
• Statholderembetet 1572–1771