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)

Ministers under Frederick VII (1848–1863)

No.	Foreign Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1	Knuth, FrederikFrederik Marcus Knuth (1813–1856)	22 March 1848	16 November 1848	239 days	Independent	Moltke I Cabinet
2	Moltke, AdamAdam Wilhelm Moltke (1785–1864)	16 November 1848	6 August 1850	1 year, 263 days	Independent	Moltke II Cabinet
3	Holger Christian Reedtz (1800–1857)	6 August 1850 (1850-08-06)	18 October 1851 (1851-10-18)	1 year, 73 days	Independent	Moltke II Cabinet–III
4	Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866)	18 October 1851 (1851-10-18)	12 December 1854 (1854-12-12)	3 years, 55 days	Independent	Moltke IV Cabinet Bluhme I Cabinet Ørsted Cabinet
5	Wulff Scheel-Plessen (1809–1876)	12 December 1854 (1854-12-12)	15 January 1855 (1855-01-15)	34 days	Independent	Bang
6	Ludvig Nicolaus von Scheele (1796–1874)	15 January 1855 (1855-01-15)	17 April 1857 (1857-04-17)	2 years, 92 days	Independent	Bang Andræ
7	Ove Wilhelm Michelsen (1800–1880)	17 April 1857 (1857-04-17)	10 July 1858 (1858-07-10)	1 year, 84 days	Independent	Andræ Hall I
8	Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888)	10 July 1858 (1858-07-10)	2 December 1859 (1859-12-02)	1 year, 145 days	National Liberal	Hall I
9	Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke (1822–1873)	2 December 1859 (1859-12-02)	24 February 1860 (1860-02-24)	84 days	Independent	Rotwitt
(8)	Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888)	24 February 1860 (1860-02-24)	31 December 1863 (1863-12-31)	3 years, 310 days	National Liberal	Hall II

Ministers under Christian IX (1863–1906)

No.	Foreign Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
10	Monrad, DitlevDitlev Gothard Monrad (1811–1887)	31 December 1863	8 January 1864	1 year, 263 days	National Liberal	Monrad Cabinet
11	George Quaade (1813–1889)	8 January 1864 (1864-01-08)	11 July 1864 (1864-07-11)	185 days	Independent	Monrad
(4)	Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866)	11 July 1864 (1864-07-11)	6 November 1865 (1865-11-06)	1 year, 118 days	Independent	Bluhme II
12	Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs (1817–1896)	6 November 1865 (1865-11-06)	28 May 1870 (1870-05-28)	4 years, 203 days	National Landowners	Frijs
13	Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892)	28 May 1870 (1870-05-28)	11 June 1875 (1875-06-11)	5 years, 14 days	National Landowners	Holstein-Holsteinborg Fonnesbech
14	Frederik Moltke (1825–1875)	11 June 1875 (1875-06-11)	1 October 1875 (1875-10-01)	112 days	National Landowners	Estrup Cabinet
(13)	Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892)	10 November 1875 (1875-11-10)	21 May 1892 (1892-05-21)	16 years, 193 days	National Landowners	Estrup Cabinet
15	Tage Reedtz-Thott (1839–1923)	3 June 1892 (1892-06-03)	23 May 1897 (1897-05-23)	4 years, 354 days	Højre	Estrup Cabinet Reedtz-Thott Cabinet
16	Niels Frederik Ravn (1826–1910)	23 May 1897 (1897-05-23)	27 April 1900 (1900-04-27)	2 years, 339 days	Højre	Hørring
17	Hannibal Sehested (1842–1924)	27 April 1900 (1900-04-27)	24 July 1901 (1901-07-24)	1 year, 88 days	Højre	Sehested
18	Johan Henrik Deuntzer (1845–1918)	24 July 1901 (1901-07-24)	14 January 1905 (1905-01-14)	3 years, 174 days	Venstre Reform	Deuntzer
19	Frederik Raben-Levetzau (1850–1933)	14 January 1905 (1905-01-14)	12 October 1908 (1908-10-12)	3 years, 272 days	Venstre Reform	Christensen I Cabinet–II

Ministers under Frederik VIII (1906–1912)

No.	Foreign Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
20	Ahlefeldt, WilliamWilliam Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923)	12 October 1908	28 October 1909	1 year, 16 days	Venstre Reform	Neergaard I Cabinet Holstein-Ledreborg Cabinet
21	Scavenius, ErikErik Scavenius (1877–1962)	28 October 1909	5 July 1910	250 days	Social Liberals	Zahle I Cabinet
(20)	Ahlefeldt, WilliamWilliam Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923)	5 July 1910	21 June 1913	2 years, 351 days	Venstre	Berntsen Cabinet

Ministers under Christian X (1912–1947)

No.	Foreign Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
22	Brandes, EdvardEdvard Brandes (1847–1931)	21 June 1913	24 June 1913	3 days	Social Liberals	Zahle II Cabinet
(21)	Erik Scavenius (1877–1962)	24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)	30 March 1920 (1920-03-30)	6 years, 280 days	Social Liberals	Zahle II
23	Henri Konow (1862–1939)	30 March 1920 (1920-03-30)	5 April 1920 (1920-04-05)	6 days	Independent	Liebe
24	Otto Scavenius (1875–1945)	5 April 1920 (1920-04-05)	5 May 1920 (1920-05-05)	30 days	Independent	Friis
25	Harald Scavenius (1873–1939)	5 May 1920 (1920-05-05)	9 October 1922 (1922-10-09)	2 years, 157 days	Venstre	Neergaard II
26	Christian Cold (1863–1934)	9 October 1922 (1922-10-09)	23 April 1924 (1924-04-23)	1 year, 197 days	Venstre	Neergaard III
27	Carl Moltke (1869–1935)	23 April 1924 (1924-04-23)	14 December 1926 (1926-12-14)	2 years, 235 days	Independent	Stauning I Cabinet
28	Laust Jevsen Moltesen (1865–1950)	14 December 1926 (1926-12-14)	30 April 1929 (1929-04-30)	2 years, 137 days	Venstre	Madsen-Mygdal
29	Peter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948)	30 April 1929 (1929-04-30)	8 July 1940 (1940-07-08)	11 years, 69 days	Social Liberals	Stauning II Cabinet–III–IV–V
(21)	Erik Scavenius (1877–1962)	8 July 1940 (1940-07-08)	29 August 1943 (1943-08-29)^[1]	3 years, 52 days	Independent	Stauning 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 days	Social Democrats	Buhl II Cabinet
30	John Christmas Møller (1894–1948)	7 May 1945 (1945-05-07)	7 November 1945 (1945-11-07)	184 days	Conservatives	Buhl II Cabinet
31	Gustav Rasmussen (1895–1953)	7 November 1945 (1945-11-07)	30 October 1950 (1950-10-30)	4 years, 357 days	Independent	Kristensen Cabinet Hedtoft I Cabinet–II

Ministers under Frederik IX (1947–1972)

No.	Foreign Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
32	Kraft, OleOle Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980)	30 October 1950	30 September 1953	2 years, 335 days	Conservatives	Eriksen Cabinet
33	Hans Christian Hansen (1906–1960)	30 September 1953 (1953-09-30)	8 October 1958 (1958-10-08)	5 years, 8 days	Social Democrats	Hedtoft III Hansen I Cabinet–II
34	Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978)	8 October 1958 (1958-10-08)	3 September 1962 (1962-09-03)	3 years, 330 days	Social Democrats	Hansen II Kampmann I Cabinet–II
35	Per Hækkerup (1915–1979)	3 September 1962 (1962-09-03)	28 November 1966 (1966-11-28)	4 years, 86 days	Social Democrats	Krag I Cabinet–II
(34)	Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978)	28 November 1966 (1966-11-28)	1 October 1967 (1967-10-01)	307 days	Social Democrats	Krag II
36	Hans Tabor (1922–2003)	1 October 1967 (1967-10-01)	2 February 1968 (1968-02-02)	124 days	Social Democrats	Krag II
37	Poul Hartling (1914–2000)	2 February 1968 (1968-02-02)	11 October 1971 (1971-10-11)	3 years, 251 days	Venstre	Baunsgaard
38	Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984)	11 October 1971 (1971-10-11)	19 December 1973 (1973-12-19)	2 years, 69 days	Social Democrats	Krag III Jørgensen I Cabinet

Ministers under Margrethe II (1972–2024)

No.	Foreign Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
39	Ove Guldberg (1918–2008)	19 December 1973 (1973-12-19)	13 February 1975 (1975-02-13)	1 year, 56 days	Venstre	Hartling Cabinet
(38)	Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984)	13 February 1975 (1975-02-13)	1 July 1978 (1978-07-01)	3 years, 138 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen II Cabinet
40	Anker Jørgensen (1922–2016)	1 July 1978 (1978-07-01)	30 August 1978 (1978-08-30)	60 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen II Cabinet
41	Henning Christophersen (1939–2016)	30 August 1978 (1978-08-30)	26 October 1979 (1979-10-26)	1 year, 57 days	Venstre	Jørgensen III Cabinet
42	Kjeld Olesen (1932–2024)	26 October 1979 (1979-10-26)	10 September 1982 (1982-09-10)	2 years, 319 days	Social Democrats	Jørgensen IV Cabinet–V
43	Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (1941–2022)	10 September 1982 (1982-09-10)	25 January 1993 (1993-01-25)	10 years, 137 days	Venstre	Schlüter I Cabinet–II–III–IV
44	Niels Helveg Petersen (1939–2017)	25 January 1993 (1993-01-25)	21 December 2000 (2000-12-21)	7 years, 331 days	Social Liberals	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–III–IV
45	Mogens Lykketoft (born 1946)	21 December 2000 (2000-12-21)	27 November 2001 (2001-11-27)	341 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet
46	Per Stig Møller (born 1942)	27 November 2001 (2001-11-27)	23 February 2010 (2010-02-23)	8 years, 88 days	Conservatives	Anders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–III Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet
47	Lene Espersen (born 1965)	23 February 2010 (2010-02-23)	3 October 2011 (2011-10-03)	1 year, 222 days	Conservatives	Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet
48	Villy Søvndal (born 1952)	3 October 2011 (2011-10-03)	12 December 2013 (2013-12-12)	2 years, 70 days	SF	Helle Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet
49	Holger K. Nielsen (born 1950)	12 December 2013 (2013-12-12)	30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)	49 days	SF	Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet
50	Martin Lidegaard (born 1966)	30 January 2014 (2014-01-30)	28 June 2015 (2015-06-28)	1 year, 149 days	Social Liberals	Thorning-Schmidt II Cabinet
51	Kristian Jensen (born 1971)	28 June 2015 (2015-06-28)	28 November 2016 (2016-11-28)	1 year, 153 days	Venstre	Lars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet
52	Samuelsen, AndersAnders Samuelsen (born 1967)	28 November 2016	27 June 2019	2 years, 211 days	Liberal Alliance	Lars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet
53	Kofod, JeppeJeppe Kofod (born 1974)	27 June 2019	15 December 2022	3 years, 171 days	Social Democrats	Frederiksen I Cabinet
54	Løkke Rasmussen, LarsLars Løkke Rasmussen (born 1964)	15 December 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 326 days	Moderates	Frederiksen II Cabinet

Notes

^ ^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.

[August43-1] 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.

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