List of Foreign ministers 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)

#	Portrait	Foreign Minister (Born-Died)	Term			Political Party		Cabinet(s)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Frederik Markus Knuth (1813–1856)	March 22, 1848	November 16, 1848	239 days		Independent	Moltke I
2		Adam Wilhelm Moltke (1785–1864)	November 16, 1848	August 6, 1850	1 year, 263 days		Independent	Moltke II
3		Holger Reedtz (1800–1857)	August 6, 1850	October 18, 1851	1 year, 73 days		Independent	Moltke II Moltke III
4		Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866)	October 18, 1851	December 12, 1854	3 years, 55 days		Independent	Moltke IV Bluhme I Ørsted
5		Wulff Scheel-Plessen (1809–1876)	December 12, 1854	January 15, 1855	34 days		Independent	Bang
6		Ludvig Nicolaus Scheele (1796–1874)	January 15, 1855	April 17, 1857	2 years, 92 days		Independent	Bang Andræ
7		Ove Wilhelm Michelsen (1800–1880)	April 17, 1857	July 10, 1858	1 year, 84 days		Independent	Andræ Hall I
8		Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888)	July 10, 1858	December 2, 1859	1 year, 145 days		National Liberal	Hall I
9		Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke (1822–1873)	December 2, 1859	February 24, 1860	84 days		Independent	Rotwitt
(8)		Carl Christian Hall (1812–1888)	February 24, 1860	December 31, 1863	3 years, 310 days		National Liberal	Hall II
10		Ditlev Gothard Monrad (1811–1887)	December 31, 1863	January 8, 1864	8 days		National Liberal	Monrad
11		George Quaade (1813–1889)	January 8, 1864	July 11, 1864	185 days		Independent	Monrad
(4)		Christian Albrecht Bluhme (1794–1866)	July 11, 1864	November 6, 1865	1 year, 118 days		Independent	Bluhme II
12		Christian Emil Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs (1817–1896)	November 6, 1865	May 28, 1870	4 years, 203 days		Nationale Godsejere	Frijs
13		Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892)	May 28, 1870	June 11, 1875	5 years, 14 days		Nationale Godsejere	Holstein-Holsteinborg Fonnesbech
14		Frederik Moltke (1825–1875)	June 11, 1875	October 1, 1875 †	112 days		Nationale Godsejere	Estrup
(13)		Otto Rosenørn-Lehn (1821–1892)	November 10, 1875	May 21, 1892 †	16 years, 193 days		Nationale Godsejere	Estrup
15		Tage Reedtz-Thott (1839–1923)	June 3, 1892	May 23, 1897	4 years, 354 days		Højre	Estrup Reedtz-Thott
16		Niels F. Ravn (1826–1910)	May 23, 1897	April 27, 1900	2 years, 339 days		Højre	Hørring
17		Hannibal Sehested (1842–1924)	April 27, 1900	July 24, 1901	1 year, 88 days		Højre	Sehested
18		Johan Henrik Deuntzer (1845–1918)	July 24, 1901	January 14, 1905	3 years, 174 days		Venstre	Deuntzer
19		Frederik Raben-Levetzau (1850–1933)	January 14, 1905	October 12, 1908	3 years, 272 days		Venstre	J.C. Christensen
20		William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923)	October 12, 1908	October 28, 1909	1 year, 16 days		Venstre	Neergaard I Holstein-Ledreborg
21		Erik Scavenius (1877–1962)	October 28, 1909	July 5, 1910	250 days		Social Liberals	Zahle I
(20)		William Ahlefeldt-Laurvig (1860–1923)	July 5, 1910	June 21, 1913	2 years, 351 days		Venstre	Klaus Berntsen
22		Edvard Brandes (1847–1931)	June 21, 1913	June 24, 1913	3 days		Social Liberals	Zahle II
(21)		Erik Scavenius (1877–1962)	June 24, 1913	March 30, 1920	6 years, 280 days		Social Liberals	Zahle II
23		Henri Konow (1862–1939)	March 30, 1920	April 5, 1920	6 days		Independent	Otto Liebe
24		Otto Scavenius (1875–1945)	April 5, 1920	May 5, 1920	30 days		Independent	M.P. Friis
25		Harald Scavenius (1873–1939)	May 5, 1920	October 9, 1922	2 years, 157 days		Venstre	Neergaard II
26		Christian Cold (1863–1934)	October 9, 1922	April 23, 1924	1 year, 197 days		Venstre	Neergaard III
27		Carl Moltke (1869–1935)	April 23, 1924	December 14, 1926	2 years, 235 days		Independent	Thorvald Stauning I
28		Laust Jevsen Moltesen (1865–1950)	December 14, 1926	April 30, 1929	2 years, 137 days		Venstre	Madsen-Mygdal
29		Peter Rochegune Munch (1870–1948)	April 30, 1929	July 8, 1940	11 years, 69 days		Social Liberals	Thorvald Stauning II
(21)		Erik Scavenius (1877–1962)	July 8, 1940	August 29, 1943[1]	3 years, 52 days		Independent	Thorvald Stauning III Vilhelm 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 (Acting) (1881–1954)	May 5, 1945	May 7, 1945	2 days		Social Democrats	–
30		John Christmas Møller (1894–1948)	May 7, 1945	November 7, 1945	184 days		Conservative People's	Vilhelm Buhl II
31		Gustav Rasmussen (1895–1953)	November 7, 1945	October 30, 1950	4 years, 357 days		Independent	Knud Kristensen Hans Hedtoft I
32		Ole Bjørn Kraft (1893–1980)	October 30, 1950	September 30, 1953	2 years, 335 days		Conservative People's	Erik Eriksen
33		Hans Christian Hansen (1906–1960)	September 30, 1953	October 8, 1958	5 years, 8 days		Social Democrats	Hans Hedtoft II H.C. Hansen I H.C. Hansen II
34		Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978)	October 8, 1958	September 3, 1962	3 years, 330 days		Social Democrats	H.C. Hansen II Viggo Kampmann I Viggo Kampmann II
35		Per Hækkerup (1915–1979)	September 3, 1962	November 28, 1966	4 years, 86 days		Social Democrats	Jens Otto Krag I Jens Otto Krag II
(34)		Jens Otto Krag (1914–1978)	November 28, 1966	October 1, 1967	307 days		Social Democrats	Jens Otto Krag II
36		Hans Tabor (1922–2003)	October 1, 1967	February 2, 1968	124 days		Social Democrats	Jens Otto Krag II
37		Poul Hartling (1914–2000)	February 2, 1968	October 11, 1971	3 years, 251 days		Venstre	Hilmar Baunsgaard
38		Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984)	October 11, 1971	December 19, 1973	2 years, 69 days		Social Democrats	Jens Otto Krag III Anker Jørgensen I
39		Ove Guldberg (1918–2008)	December 19, 1973	February 13, 1975	1 year, 56 days		Venstre	Poul Hartling
(38)		Knud Børge Andersen (1914–1984)	February 13, 1975	July 1, 1978	3 years, 138 days		Social Democrats	Anker Jørgensen II
40		Anker Jørgensen (1922–2016)	July 1, 1978	August 30, 1978	60 days		Social Democrats	Anker Jørgensen II
41		Henning Christophersen (born 1939)	August 30, 1978	October 26, 1979	1 year, 57 days		Venstre	Anker Jørgensen III
42		Kjeld Olesen (born 1932)	October 26, 1979	September 10, 1982	2 years, 319 days		Social Democrats	Anker Jørgensen IV Anker Jørgensen V
43		Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (born 1941)	September 10, 1982	January 25, 1993	10 years, 137 days		Venstre	Poul Schlüter I Poul Schlüter II Poul Schlüter III Poul Schlüter IV
44		Niels Helveg Petersen (born 1939)	January 25, 1993	December 21, 2000	7 years, 331 days		Social Liberals	P.N. Rasmussen I–II–III–IV
45		Mogens Lykketoft (born 1946)	December 21, 2000	November 27, 2001	341 days		Social Democrats	P.N. Rasmussen IV
46		Per Stig Møller (born 1942)	November 27, 2001	February 23, 2010	8 years, 88 days		Conservative People's	A.F. Rasmussen I–II–III V–K L.L. Rasmussen I V–K
47		Lene Espersen (born 1965)	February 23, 2010	October 3, 2011	1 year, 222 days		Conservative People's	L.L. Rasmussen I V–K
48		Villy Søvndal (born 1952)	October 3, 2011	December 12, 2013	2 years, 70 days		Socialist People's	Thorning-Schmidt I S–R–SF
49		Holger K. Nielsen (born 1950)	December 12, 2013	January 30, 2014	49 days		Socialist People's	Thorning-Schmidt I S–R–SF
50		Martin Lidegaard (born 1966)	January 30, 2014	June 28, 2015	1 year, 149 days		Social Liberals	Thorning-Schmidt II S–R
51		Kristian Jensen (born 1971)	June 28, 2015	Incumbent	282 days		Venstre	L.L. Rasmussen II V

Notes

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.