Governor-general of Norway
Danish: Rigsstatholder Swedish: Riksståthållare
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 appointed by the kings of Norway and Denmark

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.^[1]

List of governors-general (Stattholdere) during the Union between Denmark and Norway

No.	Portrait	Governors-general	Took office	Left office	Time in office
-		Munk, ChristenChristen Munk (c. 1520–1579) under King Christian III and Frederick II	1556	1572	15–16 years
1		Huitfeldt, PovelPouel Ottesen Huitfeldt (c. 1529–1592) under King Frederick II	1572	1577	4–5 years
2		Munk, LudvigLudvig Munk (c. 1532–1602) under King Frederick II	9 July 1577	1583	5–6 years
3		Gyldenstjerne, AxelAxel Gyldenstjerne (c. 1537–1603) under King Christian IV	1588	1601	12–13 years
4		Friis, JørgenJørgen Friis (c. 1543–1616) under King Christian IV	1601	1608	6–7 years
5		Kruse, EnevoldEnevold Kruse (c. 1554–1621) under King Christian IV	1608	1618	9–10 years
6		Juel, JensJens Hermansson Juel (1580–1634) under King Christian IV	1618	1629	10–11 years
7		Urne, ChristopherChristoffer Urne (1593–1663) under King Christian IV	1629	1642	12–13 years
8		Sehested, HannibalHannibal Sehested (1609–1666) under King Christian IV and Frederick III	1642	24 June 1651	8–9 years
9		Krabbe, GregersGregers Krabbe (1594–1655) under King Frederick III	1651	20 December 1655	3–4 years
10		Trolle, NielsNiels Trolle (1599–1667) under King Frederick III	1656	28 March 1661	4–5 years
11		Krabbe, IverIver Krabbe (1602–1666) under King Frederick III	8 Oct 1661	1664	2–3 years
12		Gyldenløve, UlrikUlrik Frederik Gyldenløve (1638–1704) under King Frederick III and Christian V	January 1664	1699	34–35 years
13		Gyldenløve, UlrikFrederik Gabel (c. 1640–1708) Vice Governor-general under King Frederick IV	30 September 1699	1708	8–9 years
14		Vibe, JohanJohan Vibe (1634–1710) Vice Governor-general under King Frederick IV	10 April 1708	22 February 1710	1 year
15		Gyldenløve, WoldemarWoldemar Løvendal (1660–1740) under King Frederick IV	1 August 1710	30 April 1712	1 year
16		Vieregg, ClausClaus Henrik Vieregg (1655–1713) Vice Governor-general under King Frederick IV	4 August 1712	14 July 1713	0 years
17		Krag, FrederikFrederik Krag (1655–1728) Vice Governor-general under King Frederick IV	19 September 1713	1722	8–9 years
18		Vibe, DitlevDitlev Vibe (1670–1731) under King Frederick IV and Christian VI	17 April 1722	5 October 1731	9 years
19		Rantzau, ChristianChristian Rantzau (1684–1771) under King Christian VI	1733	1739	7–8 years
Office vacant (1739–1750)
20		Benzon, JacobJacob Benzon (1688–1775) Vice Governor-general (1750-1770) Governor-general (1770-1771) under King Frederick V and Christian VII	11 September 1750	8 February 1771	20 years
-		CharlesPrince Charles of Hesse-Kassel (1744–1836) Acting under King Christian VII	4 July 1766	January 1768	1 year
Office vacant (8 February 1771 – 25 July 1809)
21		August, CharlesCharles August, Crown Prince of Sweden (1768–1810) under King Frederick VI	25 July 1809	11 January 1810	0 years
22		FrederikPrince Frederik of Hesse (1771–1845) under King Frederick VI	11 January 1810	11 May 1813	3 years
23		Frederik, ChristianChristian Frederik af Danmark (1786–1848) under King Frederick VI	11 May 1813	16 February 1814	0 years

Governors-general appointed by the kings of Norway and Sweden

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 governors-general (Stattholdere) during the Union between Sweden and Norway

No.	Portrait	Governors-general	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		von Essen, Hans HenricCount Hans Henric von Essen (1755–1824) under King Charles II of Norway	1814	1816	1–2 years
2		Carlsson Mörner, CarlCount Carl Carlsson Mörner (1755–1821) under King Charles II of Norway	1816	1818	1–2 years
3		Sandels, Johan AugustCount Johan August Sandels (1764–1831) under King Charles III of Norway	1818	1827	8–9 years
4		von Platen, BaltzarCount Baltzar von Platen (1766–1829) under King Charles III of Norway	1827	1829	1–2 years
Office vacant (1829 – 1836)
5		Wedel-Jarlsberg, Johan Caspar HermanCount Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg (1779–1840) under King Charles III of Norway	1836	1840	3–4 years
Office vacant (1840 – 1841)
6		Løvenskiold, SeverinSeverin Løvenskiold (1777–1856) under King Charles III of Norway and Oscar I of Norway	1841	1856	14–15 years
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

References

External links