List of heads of government of Norway

This is a list of heads of government of Norway. In the modern era, the head of government has the title prime minister (Statsminister). At various times in the past, the highest governmental title has included steward (Rigsstatholder), viceroy (Vicekonge) and first minister (Førstestatsraad)

Until 1873, the King of the personal union between Sweden and Norway governed Norway through two cabinets: one in Stockholm and another in Christiania (now Oslo). The newly created Stockholm cabinet consisted of a prime minister and two ministers, whose role was to convey the attitudes of the Christiania cabinet to the Swedish King. The cabinet in Christiania was led by a steward (Rigsstatholder). For brief periods, the incumbent crown prince was appointed Viceroy of Norway by the King, in which case the viceroy became the highest authority in Christiania. Whenever the King was present in Christiania, however, he assumed the highest authority, thus putting the governor or viceroy temporarily out of charge. Likewise, when there was no governor, viceroy, or king present in Christiania (which was not unusual), the cabinet was led by the first minister, who was the most prominent member of the cabinet.

In July 1873, the position of governor was abolished after being vacant since 1856. Simultaneously, the post of First Minister in Christiania was upgraded to Prime Minister of Norway. Although the office of Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm still existed, the real power and influence over state affairs was moved to the prime minister in Christiania, while prime minister in Stockholm became the second highest cabinet position, responsible for conveying the government's views to the King. When the union was dissolved in 1905, the position of prime minister in Stockholm was abolished.

Stewards of Norway
The Steward of Norway, styled Rigsstatholder in Danish (riksstattholder in modern Norwegian spelling), meaning Royal steward of the realm (see Steward), was the appointed head of the Norwegian Government in the absence of the Monarch during the Dano-Norwegian union. As Norway was a separate kingdom, with its own laws and institutions, the position of Steward of Norway was arguably the most influential position for a Danish-Norwegian nobleman or royal to hold, second to the King.

First Minister (1814–1873)

 * Prior to 1884, there were no organised political parties in Norway; the prime ministers were considered senior civil servants (Embedsmenn). They were appointed by the King and were not subject to legislative confirmation. All Prime Ministers before 1884 opposed the constitutional reforms proposed by the parliamentary opposition, and were in their time viewed as conservatives. The Prime Minister was subordinate to the Steward and Viceroy, and the First Minister was subordinate to the Prime Minister. The de facto head of government was the First Minister.

{| class="wikitable" ! colspan="3" |

Prime Minister
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Term of office ! colspan="3" |

First Minister
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Term of office ! rowspan="2" |Government ! !Name (Birth–Death) !Picture ! !Name (Birth–Death) !Picture ! rowspan="3" | (1749–1824) ! (1750–1825) ! (1762–1838) ! (1764–1827) ! (1764–1827) ! (1772–1851) ! (1777–1856) ! (1787–1856) Løvenskiold/Vogt ! (1796–1873) ! (1784–1862) Vogt ! (1816–1901) ! (1793–1862) ! (1825–1897) ! (1808–1884)
 * rowspan="3" |Peder Anker
 * rowspan="3" |Peder Anker by Jacob Munch.png
 * rowspan="3" |1814
 * rowspan="3" |1822
 * Frederik Gottschalk von Haxthausen
 * [[File:Frederik Gottschalk von Haxthausen av Wilhelm Holter, Eidsvoll 1814, EM.00263 (cropped).jpg|63x63px]]
 * 1814
 * 1814
 * Wedel I
 * Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz
 * [[File:Christian August Lorentzen - Portrett av Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz - Oslo Museum - OB.00015.jpg|63x63px]]
 * 1814
 * 1815
 * Wedel I
 * Mathias Sommerhielm
 * Sommerhielm1 (cropped).jpg
 * 1815
 * 1822
 * Wedel I
 * Mathias Sommerhielm
 * Sommerhielm1 (cropped).jpg
 * 1822
 * 1827
 * Jonas Collett
 * Portrett av Jonas Collett OB.00522.jpg
 * 1822
 * 1836
 * Wedel I
 * Severin Løvenskiold
 * Lovenskiold2.jpg
 * 1828
 * 1841
 * Nicolai Johan Lohmann Krog
 * [[File:Jacob Munch - Portrait of Cabinet Minister Nicolay Johan Lohmann Krog - NG.M.01089 - National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.jpg|61x61px]]
 * 1836
 * 1855
 * Wedel II
 * Frederik Gottschalck Haxthausen Due
 * Frederik Due.png
 * 1841
 * 1858
 * Jørgen Herman Vogt
 * J. H. Vogt.png
 * 1856
 * 1858
 * Løvenskiold/Vogt
 * rowspan="1" |Georg Christian Sibbern
 * [[File:Portrett av statsminister Georg Sibbern - no-nb digifoto 20160119 00053 blds 01000.jpg|50px]]
 * 1858
 * 1871
 * rowspan="1" |Hans Christian Petersen
 * Hans Christian Petersen.jpg
 * 1858
 * 1861
 * Sibbern/Birch/Motzfeldt
 * Otto Richard Kierulf
 * 37917 Otto Richard Kierulf.jpg
 * 1871
 * 1873
 * Frederik Stang
 * rowspan="1" |Frederik Stang (1808 - 1884).jpg
 * 1861
 * 1873
 * Frederik Stang
 * }

Prime Minister in Christiania (1873–1905)

 * In 1873 the office of the First Minister of Norway was upgraded to Prime Minister, based in Christiania. The office of Prime Minister based in Stockholm continued, with responsibility for communicating the policies of the Prime Minister in Christiania to the King, making it subordinate to the office in Christiania. In addition, a separate Prime Minister of Sweden was appointed from 1876 onwards.

{| class="wikitable" ! colspan=4|

Prime Minister in Stockholm
! colspan=4|

Prime Minister in Christiania
! colspan=2 rowspan=2|Term of office ! rowspan=2|Cabinet ! ! width=220|Name (Birth-Death) ! Picture ! Political party ! ! width=220|Name (Birth-Death) ! Picture ! Political party ! rowspan=2 | (1825–1897) ! rowspan=1 | (1808–1884) ! style="background:; color:white;" rowspan=2 | (1816–1889) ! (1806–1892) (acting) ! (1839–1916) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1838–1899) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1829–1888) ! style="background:; color:white;" rowspan=2 | (1816–1892) V ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1830–1907) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1846–1929) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1834–1912) H ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1847–1927) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1827–1906) V ! style="background:; color:white;" rowspan=2 | (1846–1929) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1834–1912) H ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1853–1921) H–MV–V ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1853–1921) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1827–1906) V ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1834–1904) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1847–1927) V ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1859–1930) (1853–1921) H–V ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1848–1922) ! style="background:; color:white;" | (1857–1925) V–H–MV
 * rowspan=2 | Otto Richard Kierulf
 * rowspan=2 | 37917 Otto Richard Kierulf.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | N/A
 * rowspan=1 | Frederik Stang
 * rowspan=1 | Frederik Stang (1808 - 1884).jpg
 * N/A
 * 1873
 * 1880
 * F.Stang
 * rowspan=2 | Christian August Selmer
 * rowspan=2 | Christian Selmer.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative Party
 * rowspan=1 | 1880
 * rowspan=1 | 1884
 * rowspan=2 | Selmer
 * Wolfgang Wenzel von Haffner
 * Wolfgang Haffner 2.jpg
 * N/A
 * 1884
 * 1884
 * Carl Otto Løvenskiold
 * Carl Otto Løvenskiold.png
 * N/A
 * Christian Homann Schweigaard
 * Christian Homann Schweigaard.jpg
 * Conservative Party
 * 1884
 * 1884
 * Schweigaard
 * Ole Jørgensen Richter
 * Ole Richter by L Szacinski.png
 * Liberal Party
 * rowspan=2 | Johan Sverdrup
 * rowspan=2 | Johan Sverdrup porträtt.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | Liberal Party
 * 1884
 * 1888
 * rowspan=2 | Sverdrup
 * Hans Georg Jacob Stang
 * Jacob Stang.png
 * Liberal Party
 * 1888
 * 1889
 * Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
 * Gregers Gram porträtt.jpg
 * Conservative Party
 * Emil Stang
 * Emil Stang by Klem.png
 * Conservative Party
 * 1889
 * 1891
 * Stang I
 * Otto Blehr
 * Otto Albert Blehr 1891.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * Johannes Steen
 * Johannes Steen.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * 1891
 * 1893
 * Steen I
 * rowspan=2 | Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram
 * rowspan=2 | Gregers Gram porträtt.jpg
 * rowspan=2 | Conservative Party
 * Emil Stang
 * Emil Stang by Klem.png
 * Conservative Party
 * 1893
 * 1895
 * Stang II
 * Francis Hagerup
 * Francis Hagerup (OB.SZ02297).jpg
 * Conservative Party
 * 1895
 * 1898
 * Hagerup I
 * Otto Blehr
 * Otto Albert Blehr 1891.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * Johannes Steen
 * Johannes Steen.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * 1898
 * 1902
 * Steen II
 * Ole Anton Qvam
 * Oaqvam.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * Otto Blehr
 * Otto Albert Blehr 1891.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * 1902
 * 1903
 * Blehr I
 * Sigurd Ibsen
 * Sigurd Ibsen OB.F06068a.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * style="background:gold;" |
 * Francis Hagerup
 * Francis Hagerup (OB.SZ02297).jpg
 * Coalition Party
 * 1903
 * 1905
 * Hagerup II
 * Jørgen Løvland
 * Utenriksminister Lovland.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * Christian Michelsen
 * Christian Michelsen portrait.jpg
 * Liberal Party
 * 1905
 * 1905
 * Michelsen
 * }

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–present)
In 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. Since then the office of the Prime Minister of Norway has been in Oslo, except for the years of Nazi-German occupation during World War II when the Norwegian government was in exile in London.

Heads of Government (1940–1945)
Government sanction by Nazi Germany during the occupation of Norway. The Nygaardsvold exile government (1935–1945) is recognised as the elected government during the occupation.