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)
Minister of Foreign Affairs under Frederick VII (1848–1863)
| No. | Portrait | Foreign Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frederik Markus Knuth (1813–1856) | 22 March 1848 | 16 November 1848 | 239 days | Independent | Moltke I | |
| 2 | Adam Wilhelm Moltke (1785–1864) | 16 November 1848 | 6 August 1850 | 1 year, 263 days | Independent | Moltke II | |
| 3 | Holger Reedtz (1800–1857) | 6 August 1850 | 18 October 1851 | 1 year, 73 days | Independent | Moltke II–III | |
| 4 | Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866) | 18 October 1851 | 12 December 1854 | 3 years, 55 days | Independent | Moltke IV Bluhme I Ørsted | |
| 5 | Wulff Scheel-Plessen (1809–1876) | 12 December 1854 | 15 January 1855 | 34 days | Independent | Bang | |
| 6 | Ludvig Nicolaus von Scheele (1796–1874) | 15 January 1855 | 17 April 1857 | 2 years, 92 days | Independent | Bang Andræ | |
| 7 | Ove Wilhelm Michelsen (1800–1880) | 17 April 1857 | 10 July 1858 | 1 year, 84 days | Independent | Andræ Hall I | |
| 8 | Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888) | 10 July 1858 | 2 December 1859 | 1 year, 145 days | National Liberal | Hall I | |
| 9 | Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke (1822–1873) | 2 December 1859 | 24 February 1860 | 84 days | Independent | Rotwitt | |
| (8) | Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888) | 24 February 1860 | 31 December 1863 | 3 years, 310 days | National Liberal | Hall II |
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Minister of Foreign Affairs under Christian IX (1863–1906)
| No. | Portrait | Foreign Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Ditlev Gothard Monrad (1811–1887) | 31 December 1863 | 8 January 1864 | 1 year, 263 days | National Liberal | Monrad | |
| 11 | George Quaade (1813–1889) | 8 January 1864 | 11 July 1864 | 185 days | Independent | Monrad | |
| (4) | Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866) | 11 July 1864 | 6 November 1865 | 1 year, 118 days | Independent | Bluhme II | |
| 12 | Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs (1817–1896) | 6 November 1865 | 28 May 1870 | 4 years, 203 days | National Landowners | Frijs | |
| 13 | Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892) | 28 May 1870 | 11 June 1875 | 5 years, 14 days | National Landowners | Holstein-Holsteinborg Fonnesbech | |
| 14 | Frederik Moltke (1825–1875) | 11 June 1875 | 1 October 1875 | 112 days | National Landowners | Estrup | |
| (13) | Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892) | 10 November 1875 | 21 May 1892 | 16 years, 193 days | National Landowners | Estrup | |
| 15 | Tage Reedtz-Thott (1839–1923) | 3 June 1892 | 23 May 1897 | 4 years, 354 days | Højre | Estrup Reedtz-Thott | |
| 16 | Niels F. Ravn (1826–1910) | 23 May 1897 | 27 April 1900 | 2 years, 339 days | Højre | Hørring | |
| 17 | Hannibal Sehested (1842–1924) | 27 April 1900 | 24 July 1901 | 1 year, 88 days | Højre | Sehested | |
| 18 | Johan Henrik Deuntzer (1845–1918) | 24 July 1901 | 14 January 1905 | 3 years, 174 days | Venstre Reform | Deuntzer | |
| 19 | Frederik Raben-Levetzau (1850–1933) | 14 January 1905 | 12 October 1908 | 3 years, 272 days | Venstre Reform | Christensen I–II |
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Minister of Foreign Affairs under Frederik VIII (1906–1912)
| No. | Portrait | Foreign Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923) | 12 October 1908 | 28 October 1909 | 1 year, 16 days | Venstre Reform | Neergaard I Holstein-Ledreborg | |
| 21 | Erik Scavenius (1877–1962) | 28 October 1909 | 5 July 1910 | 250 days | Social Liberals | Zahle I | |
| (20) | William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923) | 5 July 1910 | 21 June 1913 | 2 years, 351 days | Venstre | Berntsen |
![William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig [da]](javascript:eml2('8/89/','100px-William_Ahlefeldt-Laurvig_by_Carl_Pietzner.jpg'))
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![William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig [da]](javascript:eml2('5/5a/','100px-Ahlefeld-Laurvig_CW.jpg'))
Minister of Foreign Affairs under Christian X (1912–1947)
| No. | Portrait | Foreign Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Edvard Brandes (1847–1931) | 21 June 1913 | 24 June 1913 | 3 days | Social Liberals | Zahle II | ||
| (21) | Erik Scavenius (1877–1962) | 24 June 1913 | 30 March 1920 | 6 years, 280 days | Social Liberals | Zahle II | ||
| 23 | Henri Konow (1862–1939) | 30 March 1920 | 5 April 1920 | 6 days | Independent | Liebe | ||
| 24 | Otto Scavenius (1875–1945) | 5 April 1920 | 5 May 1920 | 30 days | Independent | Friis | ||
| 25 | Harald Scavenius (1873–1939) | 5 May 1920 | 9 October 1922 | 2 years, 157 days | Venstre | Neergaard II | ||
| 26 | Christian Cold (1863–1934) | 9 October 1922 | 23 April 1924 | 1 year, 197 days | Venstre | Neergaard III | ||
| 27 | Carl Moltke (1869–1935) | 23 April 1924 | 14 December 1926 | 2 years, 235 days | Independent | Stauning I | ||
| 28 | Laust Jevsen Moltesen (1865–1950) | 14 December 1926 | 30 April 1929 | 2 years, 137 days | Venstre | Madsen-Mygdal | ||
| 29 | Peter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948) | 30 April 1929 | 8 July 1940 | 11 years, 69 days | Social Liberals | Stauning II–III–IV–V | ||
| (21) | Erik Scavenius (1877–1962) | 8 July 1940 | 29 August 1943[1] | 3 years, 52 days | Independent | Stauning VI Buhl I Scavenius | ||
| No Danish government in between August 29, 1943 and May 5, 1945. Office is assumed by the permanent secretary.[1] | ||||||||
| – | Vilhelm Buhl (1881–1954) Acting | 5 May 1945 | 7 May 1945 | 2 days | Social Democrats | Buhl II | ||
| 30 | John Christmas Møller (1894–1948) | 7 May 1945 | 7 November 1945 | 184 days | Conservative | Buhl II | ||
| 31 | Gustav Rasmussen (1895–1953) | 7 November 1945 | 30 October 1950 | 4 years, 357 days | Independent | Kristensen Hedtoft I–II | ||
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Minister of Foreign Affairs under Frederik IX (1947–1972)
| No. | Portrait | Foreign Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Ole Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980) | 30 October 1950 | 30 September 1953 | 2 years, 335 days | Conservative | Eriksen | |
| 33 | Hans Christian Hansen (1906–1960) | 30 September 1953 | 8 October 1958 | 5 years, 8 days | Social Democrats | Hedtoft III Hansen I–II | |
| 34 | Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978) | 8 October 1958 | 3 September 1962 | 3 years, 330 days | Social Democrats | Hansen II Kampmann I–II | |
| 35 | Per Hækkerup (1915–1979) | 3 September 1962 | 28 November 1966 | 4 years, 86 days | Social Democrats | Krag I–II | |
| (34) | Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978) | 28 November 1966 | 1 October 1967 | 307 days | Social Democrats | Krag II | |
| 36 | Hans Tabor (1922–2003) | 1 October 1967 | 2 February 1968 | 124 days | Social Democrats | Krag II | |
| 37 | Poul Hartling (1914–2000) | 2 February 1968 | 11 October 1971 | 3 years, 251 days | Venstre | Baunsgaard | |
| 38 | Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984) | 11 October 1971 | 19 December 1973 | 2 years, 69 days | Social Democrats | Krag III Jørgensen I |
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Minister of Foreign Affairs under Margrethe II (1972–present)
| No. | Portrait | Foreign Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | Ove Guldberg (1918–2008) | 19 December 1973 | 13 February 1975 | 1 year, 56 days | Venstre | Hartling | |
| (38) | Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984) | 13 February 1975 | 1 July 1978 | 3 years, 138 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II | |
| 40 | Anker Jørgensen (1922–2016) | 1 July 1978 | 30 August 1978 | 60 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen II | |
| 41 | Henning Christophersen (1939–2016) | 30 August 1978 | 26 October 1979 | 1 year, 57 days | Venstre | Jørgensen III | |
| 42 | Kjeld Olesen (born 1932) | 26 October 1979 | 10 September 1982 | 2 years, 319 days | Social Democrats | Jørgensen IV–V | |
| 43 | Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (born 1941) | 10 September 1982 | 25 January 1993 | 10 years, 137 days | Venstre | Schlüter I–II–III–IV | |
| 44 | Niels Helveg Petersen (1939–2017) | 25 January 1993 | 21 December 2000 | 7 years, 331 days | Social Liberals | P.N. Rasmussen I–II–III–IV | |
| 45 | Mogens Lykketoft (born 1946) | 21 December 2000 | 27 November 2001 | 341 days | Social Democrats | P.N. Rasmussen IV | |
| 46 | Per Stig Møller (born 1942) | 27 November 2001 | 23 February 2010 | 8 years, 88 days | Conservative | A.F. Rasmussen I–II–III L.L. Rasmussen I | |
| 47 | Lene Espersen (born 1965) | 23 February 2010 | 3 October 2011 | 1 year, 222 days | Conservative | L.L. Rasmussen I | |
| 48 | Villy Søvndal (born 1952) | 3 October 2011 | 12 December 2013 | 2 years, 70 days | SF | Thorning-Schmidt I | |
| 49 | Holger K. Nielsen (born 1950) | 12 December 2013 | 30 January 2014 | 49 days | SF | Thorning-Schmidt I | |
| 50 | Martin Lidegaard (born 1966) | 30 January 2014 | 28 June 2015 | 1 year, 149 days | Social Liberals | Thorning-Schmidt II | |
| 51 | Kristian Jensen (born 1971) | 28 June 2015 | 28 November 2016 | 1 year, 153 days | Venstre | L.L. Rasmussen II | |
| 52 | Anders Samuelsen (born 1967) | 28 November 2016 | 27 June 2019 | 2 years, 211 days | Liberal Alliance | L.L. Rasmussen III | |
| 53 | Jeppe Kofod (born 1974) | 27 June 2019 | Incumbent | 1 year, 232 days | Social Democrats | Frederiksen |
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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.