| Governor-general of Norway | |
|---|---|
| Danish: Rigsstatholder Swedish: Riksståthållare | |
.JPG) Longest servingUlrik 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.
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 |
.jpg) | 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 |
.jpg) | 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 |
.jpg) | 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
Sources and references
References
- Two sentences are quotes from the National Archives ra/sentralinst/statholderembetet.html Statholderembetet 1572-1771 from the National Archives/archived edition