Governor-general of Norway
The governor-general of Norway, styled rigsstatholder in Danish or riksståthållare in Swedish, both meaning 'lieutenant of the realm' (see stadtholder), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the monarch.
Governors-general appointed by the Danish crown
The successive Statholder of Norway during its union with Denmark were:
| No. | Portrait | Governors-general | Took office | Left office | Time in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Christen Munk (c. 1520–1579) was a precursor to the stewardship that was created in 1572 | 1556 | 1572 | 15–16 years | ||
| 1 | Pouel Ottesen Huitfeldt (c. 1529–1592) | 1572 | 1577 | 4–5 years | ||
| 2 | Ludvig Munk (c. 1532–1602) | 9 July 1577 | 1583 | 5–6 years | ||
| 3 | Axel Gyldenstjerne (c. 1537–1603) | 1588 | 1601 | 12–13 years | ||
| 4 | Jørgen Friis (c. 1543–1616) | 1601 | 1608 | 6–7 years | ||
| 5 | Enevold Kruse (c. 1554–1621) | 1608 | 1618 | 9–10 years | ||
| 6 | Jens Hermansson Juel (1580–1634) | 1618 | 1629 | 10–11 years | ||
| 7 | Christoffer Urne (1593–1663) | 1629 | 1642 | 12–13 years | ||
| 8 | Hannibal Sehested (1609–1666) | 1642 | 24 June 1651 | 8–9 years | ||
| 9 | Gregers Krabbe (1594–1655) | 1651 | 20 December 1655 | 8–9 years | ||
| 10 | Niels Trolle (1599–1667) | 1656 | 28 March 1661 | 4–5 years | ||
| 11 | Iver Krabbe (1602–1666) | 8 Oct 1661 | 1664 | 2–3 years | ||
| 12 | Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve (1638–1704) | January 1664 | 1699 | 34–35 years | ||
| 13 | Frederik Gabel (c. 1640–1708) Vice Governor-general | 30 September 1699 | 1708 | 8–9 years | ||
| 14 | Johan Vibe (1634–1710) Vice Governor-general | 10 April 1708 | 22 February 1710 | 1 years | ||
| 15 | Woldemar Løvendal (1660–1740) | 1 August 1710 | 30 April 1712 | 1 years | ||
| 16 | Claus Henrik Vieregg (1655–1713) Vice Governor-general | 4 August 1712 | 14 July 1713 | 0 years | ||
| 17 | Frederik Krag (1655–1728) Vice Governor-general | 19 September 1713 | 1722 | 8–9 years | ||
| 18 | Ditlev Vibe (1670–1731) | 17 April 1722 | 5 October 1731 | 9 years | ||
| 19 | Christian Rantzau (1684–1771) | 1733 | 1739 | 7–8 years | ||
| Office vacant (1739–1750) | ||||||
| 20 | Jacob Benzon (1688–1775) Vice Governor-general | 11 September 1750 | 8 February 1771 | 20 years | ||
| - | Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel (1744–1836) Acting | 4 July 1766 | January 1768 | 1 years | ||
| Office vacant (8 February 1771 – 25 July 1809) | ||||||
| 21 | Charles August, Crown Prince of Sweden (1768–1810) | 25 July 1809 | 11 January 1810 | 0 years | ||
| 22 | Prince Frederik of Hesse (1771–1845) | 11 January 1810 | 11 May 1813 | 3 years | ||
| 23 | Christian Frederik af Danmark (1786–1848) | 11 May 1813 | 16 February 1814 | 0 years | ||
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Governors-general appointed by the kings of Norway and Sweden
The following describes the office of governor as it was from 1814 during the personal 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 during the Union between Sweden and Norway
- 1814–1816: Count Hans Henric von Essen
- 1816–1818: Count Carl Carlsson Mörner
- 1818–1827: Count Johan August Sandels
- 1827–1829: Count Baltzar von Platen
From 1829 to 1836, the office was vacant.
- 1836–1840: Count Johan Caspar Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg
From 1840 to 1841, the office was vacant.
- 1841–1856: Severin Løvenskiold
From 1856 to 1873, the office was vacant, then it was abolished.