Governor-general of Norway


The governor-general of Norway, styled rigsstatholder in Danish or riksståthållare in Swedish, both meaning 'lieutenant of the realm', 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:
!colspan=7|Office vacant
!colspan=7|Office vacant

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 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]

From 1829 to 1836, the office was vacant.
From 1840 to 1841, the office was vacant.
From 1856 to 1873, the office was vacant, then it was abolished.