List of ministers of foreign affairs of Denmark

This is a list of foreign ministers of Denmark since the establishment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1848.

List of Danish foreign ministers (1848–present)

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Ministers under Frederick VII (1848–1863)

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No. Portrait Foreign Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
1Knuth, FrederikFrederik Marcus Knuth
(1813–1856)
22 March 184816 November 1848239 daysIndependentMoltke I Cabinet
2Moltke, AdamAdam Wilhelm Moltke
(1785–1864)
16 November 18486 August 18501 year, 263 daysIndependentMoltke II Cabinet
3Holger Christian Reedtz
(1800–1857)
6 August 1850 (1850-08-06)18 October 1851 (1851-10-18)1 year, 73 daysIndependentMoltke II CabinetIII
4Christian Albrecht Bluhme
(1794–1866)
18 October 1851 (1851-10-18)12 December 1854 (1854-12-12)3 years, 55 daysIndependentMoltke IV Cabinet
Bluhme I Cabinet
Ørsted Cabinet
5Wulff Scheel-Plessen
(1809–1876)
12 December 1854 (1854-12-12)15 January 1855 (1855-01-15)34 daysIndependentBang
6Ludvig Nicolaus von Scheele
(1796–1874)
15 January 1855 (1855-01-15)17 April 1857 (1857-04-17)2 years, 92 daysIndependentBang
Andræ
7Ove Wilhelm Michelsen
(1800–1880)
17 April 1857 (1857-04-17)10 July 1858 (1858-07-10)1 year, 84 daysIndependentAndræ
Hall I
8Carl Christian Hall
(1812–1888)
10 July 1858 (1858-07-10)2 December 1859 (1859-12-02)1 year, 145 daysNational LiberalHall I
9Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke
(1822–1873)
2 December 1859 (1859-12-02)24 February 1860 (1860-02-24)84 daysIndependentRotwitt
(8)Carl Christian Hall
(1812–1888)
24 February 1860 (1860-02-24)31 December 1863 (1863-12-31)3 years, 310 daysNational LiberalHall II

Ministers under Christian IX (1863–1906)

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No. Portrait Foreign Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
10Monrad, DitlevDitlev Gothard Monrad
(1811–1887)
31 December 18638 January 18641 year, 263 daysNational LiberalMonrad Cabinet
11George Quaade
(1813–1889)
8 January 1864 (1864-01-08)11 July 1864 (1864-07-11)185 daysIndependentMonrad
(4)Christian Albrecht Bluhme
(1794–1866)
11 July 1864 (1864-07-11)6 November 1865 (1865-11-06)1 year, 118 daysIndependentBluhme II
12Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs
(1817–1896)
6 November 1865 (1865-11-06)28 May 1870 (1870-05-28)4 years, 203 daysNational LandownersFrijs
13Otto Rosenørn-Lehn
(1821–1892)
28 May 1870 (1870-05-28)11 June 1875 (1875-06-11)5 years, 14 daysNational LandownersHolstein-Holsteinborg
Fonnesbech
14Frederik Moltke
(1825–1875)
11 June 1875 (1875-06-11)1 October 1875 (1875-10-01)112 daysNational LandownersEstrup Cabinet
(13)Otto Rosenørn-Lehn
(1821–1892)
10 November 1875 (1875-11-10)21 May 1892 (1892-05-21)16 years, 193 daysNational LandownersEstrup Cabinet
15Tage Reedtz-Thott
(1839–1923)
3 June 1892 (1892-06-03)23 May 1897 (1897-05-23)4 years, 354 daysHøjreEstrup Cabinet
Reedtz-Thott Cabinet
16Niels Frederik Ravn
(1826–1910)
23 May 1897 (1897-05-23)27 April 1900 (1900-04-27)2 years, 339 daysHøjreHørring
17Hannibal Sehested
(1842–1924)
27 April 1900 (1900-04-27)24 July 1901 (1901-07-24)1 year, 88 daysHøjreSehested
18Johan Henrik Deuntzer
(1845–1918)
24 July 1901 (1901-07-24)14 January 1905 (1905-01-14)3 years, 174 daysVenstre ReformDeuntzer
19Frederik Raben-Levetzau
(1850–1933)
14 January 1905 (1905-01-14)12 October 1908 (1908-10-12)3 years, 272 daysVenstre ReformChristensen I CabinetII

Ministers under Frederik VIII (1906–1912)

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No. Portrait Foreign Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
20Ahlefeldt, WilliamWilliam Ahlefeldt-Laurvig
(1860–1923)
12 October 190828 October 19091 year, 16 daysVenstre ReformNeergaard I Cabinet
Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet
21Scavenius, ErikErik Scavenius
(1877–1962)
28 October 19095 July 1910250 daysSocial LiberalsZahle I Cabinet
(20)Ahlefeldt, WilliamWilliam Ahlefeldt-Laurvig
(1860–1923)
5 July 191021 June 19132 years, 351 daysVenstreBerntsen Cabinet

Ministers under Christian X (1912–1947)

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No. Portrait Foreign Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
22Brandes, EdvardEdvard Brandes
(1847–1931)
21 June 191324 June 19133 daysSocial LiberalsZahle II Cabinet
(21)Erik Scavenius
(1877–1962)
24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)30 March 1920 (1920-03-30)6 years, 280 daysSocial LiberalsZahle II
23Henri Konow
(1862–1939)
30 March 1920 (1920-03-30)5 April 1920 (1920-04-05)6 daysIndependentLiebe
24Otto Scavenius
(1875–1945)
5 April 1920 (1920-04-05)5 May 1920 (1920-05-05)30 daysIndependentFriis
25Harald Scavenius
(1873–1939)
5 May 1920 (1920-05-05)9 October 1922 (1922-10-09)2 years, 157 daysVenstreNeergaard II
26Christian Cold
(1863–1934)
9 October 1922 (1922-10-09)23 April 1924 (1924-04-23)1 year, 197 daysVenstreNeergaard III
27Carl Moltke
(1869–1935)
23 April 1924 (1924-04-23)14 December 1926 (1926-12-14)2 years, 235 daysIndependentStauning I Cabinet
28Laust Jevsen Moltesen
(1865–1950)
14 December 1926 (1926-12-14)30 April 1929 (1929-04-30)2 years, 137 daysVenstreMadsen-Mygdal
29Peter Rochegune Munch
(1870–1948)
30 April 1929 (1929-04-30)8 July 1940 (1940-07-08)11 years, 69 daysSocial LiberalsStauning II CabinetIIIIVV
(21)Erik Scavenius
(1877–1962)
8 July 1940 (1940-07-08)29 August 1943 (1943-08-29)[1]3 years, 52 daysIndependentStauning VI Cabinet
Buhl I Cabinet
Scavenius Cabinet
No Danish government in between August 29, 1943 (1943-08-29) and May 5, 1945 (1945-05-05). Office is assumed by the permanent secretary.[1]
Vilhelm Buhl
(1881–1954)
Acting
5 May 1945 (1945-05-05)7 May 1945 (1945-05-07)2 daysSocial DemocratsBuhl II Cabinet
30John Christmas Møller
(1894–1948)
7 May 1945 (1945-05-07)7 November 1945 (1945-11-07)184 daysConservativesBuhl II Cabinet
31Gustav Rasmussen
(1895–1953)
7 November 1945 (1945-11-07)30 October 1950 (1950-10-30)4 years, 357 daysIndependentKristensen Cabinet
Hedtoft I CabinetII

Ministers under Frederik IX (1947–1972)

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No. Portrait Foreign Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
32Kraft, OleOle Bjørn Kraft
(1893–1980)
30 October 195030 September 19532 years, 335 daysConservativesEriksen Cabinet
33Hans Christian Hansen
(1906–1960)
30 September 1953 (1953-09-30)8 October 1958 (1958-10-08)5 years, 8 daysSocial DemocratsHedtoft III
Hansen I CabinetII
34Jens Otto Krag
(1914–1978)
8 October 1958 (1958-10-08)3 September 1962 (1962-09-03)3 years, 330 daysSocial DemocratsHansen II
Kampmann I CabinetII
35Per Hækkerup
(1915–1979)
3 September 1962 (1962-09-03)28 November 1966 (1966-11-28)4 years, 86 daysSocial DemocratsKrag I CabinetII
(34)Jens Otto Krag
(1914–1978)
28 November 1966 (1966-11-28)1 October 1967 (1967-10-01)307 daysSocial DemocratsKrag II
36Hans Tabor
(1922–2003)
1 October 1967 (1967-10-01)2 February 1968 (1968-02-02)124 daysSocial DemocratsKrag II
37Poul Hartling
(1914–2000)
2 February 1968 (1968-02-02)11 October 1971 (1971-10-11)3 years, 251 daysVenstreBaunsgaard
38Knud Børge Andersen
(1914–1984)
11 October 1971 (1971-10-11)19 December 1973 (1973-12-19)2 years, 69 daysSocial DemocratsKrag III
Jørgensen I Cabinet

Ministers under Margrethe II (1972–2024)

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No. Portrait Foreign Minister Took office Left office Time in office Party Cabinet
39Ove Guldberg
(1918–2008)
19 December 1973 (1973-12-19)13 February 1975 (1975-02-13)1 year, 56 daysVenstreHartling Cabinet
(38)Knud Børge Andersen
(1914–1984)
13 February 1975 (1975-02-13)1 July 1978 (1978-07-01)3 years, 138 daysSocial DemocratsJørgensen II Cabinet
40Anker Jørgensen
(1922–2016)
1 July 1978 (1978-07-01)30 August 1978 (1978-08-30)60 daysSocial DemocratsJørgensen II Cabinet
41Henning Christophersen
(1939–2016)
30 August 1978 (1978-08-30)26 October 1979 (1979-10-26)1 year, 57 daysVenstreJørgensen III Cabinet
42Kjeld Olesen
(1932–2024)
26 October 1979 (1979-10-26)10 September 1982 (1982-09-10)2 years, 319 daysSocial DemocratsJørgensen IV CabinetV
43Uffe Ellemann-Jensen
(1941–2022)
10 September 1982 (1982-09-10)25 January 1993 (1993-01-25)10 years, 137 daysVenstreSchlüter I CabinetIIIIIIV
44Niels Helveg Petersen
(1939–2017)
25 January 1993 (1993-01-25)21 December 2000 (2000-12-21)7 years, 331 daysSocial LiberalsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen I CabinetIIIIIIV
45Mogens Lykketoft
(born 1946)
21 December 2000 (2000-12-21)27 November 2001 (2001-11-27)341 daysSocial DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet
46Per Stig Møller
(born 1942)
27 November 2001 (2001-11-27)23 February 2010 (2010-02-23)8 years, 88 daysConservativesAnders Fogh Rasmussen I CabinetIIIII
Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet
47Lene Espersen
(born 1965)
23 February 2010 (2010-02-23)3 October 2011 (2011-10-03)1 year, 222 daysConservativesLars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet
48Villy Søvndal
(born 1952)
3 October 2011 (2011-10-03)12 December 2013 (2013-12-12)2 years, 70 daysSFHelle Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet
49Holger K. Nielsen
(born 1950)
12 December 2013 (2013-12-12)30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)49 daysSFThorning-Schmidt I Cabinet
50Martin Lidegaard
(born 1966)
30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)28 June 2015 (2015-06-28)1 year, 149 daysSocial LiberalsThorning-Schmidt II Cabinet
51Kristian Jensen
(born 1971)
28 June 2015 (2015-06-28)28 November 2016 (2016-11-28)1 year, 153 daysVenstreLars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet
52Samuelsen, AndersAnders Samuelsen
(born 1967)
28 November 201627 June 20192 years, 211 daysLiberal AllianceLars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet
53Kofod, JeppeJeppe Kofod
(born 1974)
27 June 201915 December 20223 years, 171 daysSocial DemocratsFrederiksen I Cabinet
54Løkke Rasmussen, LarsLars Løkke Rasmussen
(born 1964)
15 December 2022Incumbent1 year, 302 daysModeratesFrederiksen II Cabinet

Notes

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  1. ^ a b On 29 August 1943, the Danish government resigned, refusing to grant further concessions to Nazi Germany. All government operations were assumed by the permanent secretaries of the individual departments, and this arrangement lasted until the Liberation of Denmark on 5 May 1945. Since King Christian X never accepted the resignation of the government, it existed de jure until a new cabinet was formed on 5 May 1945.