Jump to content

Lists of heads of state of Iceland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

King of Iceland
Konungur Íslands
Longest reigning
Christian IV

4 April 1588–28 February 1648
Details
StyleHis Majesty
First monarchHaakon IV
Last monarchKristján X
Formation1262
Abolition17 June 1944

This is a list of heads of state of Iceland, including Kings of Norway from 1262 to 1814, Kings of Denmark from 1814 to 1918, the King of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 and Presidents of Iceland from 1944.

Overview

[edit]

Iceland was settled in the late 9th and early 10th centuries, principally by people of Norwegian and other Scandinavian origin. In 930, the ruling chiefs established a republican constitution and an assembly called the Althing—the oldest parliament in the world. Iceland remained independent until 1262, when it entered into a treaty which established a union with the Norwegian monarchy. In the late 14th century Norway and Denmark entered into a union. The union between Denmark and Norway, ignoring some shorter periods, lasted until 1814, when Norway briefly gained independence, and Iceland became an integral part of Denmark until 1918, when Iceland was recognised as a fully sovereign state in personal union with Denmark under a common monarch, on 1 December that same year.[citation needed]

Following a constitutional referendum between 20 and 23 May 1944, Iceland formally became an independent republic on 17 June 1944. Since Denmark was still occupied by Germany, many Danes felt offended that the step should have been taken at the time [citation needed]. Still, the last King of Iceland, Kristján X, sent a message of congratulations to the Icelandic people.[citation needed]

Kings of Norway (1262–1814)

[edit]
NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Haakon IV
  • the Old
(1204-04-01)1 April 1204 – 16 December 1263(1263-12-16) (aged 59)126216 December 1263Son of Haakon IIIFairhairHaakon IV of Norway
Magnus VI
  • the Law-mender
(1238-05-01)1 May 1238 – 9 May 1280(1280-05-09) (aged 42)16 December 12639 May 1280Son of Haakon IVFairhairMagnus VI of Norway
Eric II1268 – (1299-07-15)15 July 12999 May 128015 July 1299Son of Magnus VIFairhairEric II of Norway
Haakon V1270 – (1319-05-08)8 May 131915 July 12998 May 1319Son of Magnus VIFairhairHaakon V of Norway
Magnus VII1316 – (1374-12-01)1 December 137413191 December 1374[1]Grandson of Haakon VBjälboMagnus VII of Norway
Haakon VI1340 – (1380-09-11)11 September 138015 August 134311 September 1380Son of Magnus VIIBjälboHaakon VI of Norway
Olaf IV1370 – (1387-08-03)3 August 138729 July 13803 August 1387Son of Haakon VIBjälboOlaf IV of Norway
Margaret Ic. 1353 – (1412-10-28)28 October 14122 February 138828 October 1412Mother of Olaf IVEstridsenMargaret I of Norway
Eric IIIc. 1381 – (1459-05-03)3 May 145928 October 14121442Son of Wartislaw VII, Duke of PomeraniaGriffinsEric III of Norway
Christopher I(1416-02-26)26 February 1416 – 5 January 1448(1448-01-05) (aged 31)14425 January 1448Son of John, Count Palatine of NeumarktPalatinate-NeumarktChristopher I of Norway
Charles I(1409-10-05)5 October 1409 – 14 May 1470(1470-05-14) (aged 60)20 November 14491450Son of Knut Tordsson BondeBondeCharles I of Norway
Christian I1426 – (1481-05-21)21 May 1481145021 May 1481Son of Dietrich, Count of OldenburgOldenburgChristian I of Norway
John I(1455-02-02)2 February 1455 – 20 February 1513(1513-02-20) (aged 58)148320 February 1513Son of Christian IOldenburgJohn I of Norway
Christian II(1481-07-01)1 July 1481 – 25 January 1559(1559-01-25) (aged 77)22 July 151320 January 1523Son of John IOldenburgChristian II of Norway
Frederick I(1471-10-07)7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533(1533-04-10) (aged 61)152310 April 1533Son of Christian IOldenburgFrederick I of Norway
Christian III(1503-08-12)12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559(1559-01-01) (aged 55)15371 January 1559Son of Frederick IOldenburgChristian III of Norway
Frederick II(1534-07-01)1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588(1588-04-04) (aged 53)1 January 15594 April 1588Son of Christian IIIOldenburgFrederick II of Norway
Christian IV(1577-04-12)12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648(1648-02-28) (aged 70)4 April 158828 February 1648Son of Frederick IIOldenburgChristian IV of Norway
Frederick III(1609-03-18)18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670(1670-02-09) (aged 60)6 July 16489 February 1670Son of Christian IVOldenburgFrederick III of Norway
Christian V(1646-04-15)15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699(1699-08-25) (aged 53)9 February 167025 August 1699Son of Frederick IIIOldenburgChristian V of Norway
Frederick IV(1671-10-11)11 October 1671 – 12 October 1730(1730-10-12) (aged 59)25 August 169912 October 1730Son of Christian VOldenburgFrederick IV of Norway
Christian VI(1699-11-30)30 November 1699 – 6 August 1746(1746-08-06) (aged 46)12 October 17306 August 1746Son of Frederick IVOldenburgChristian VI of Norway
Frederick V(1723-03-31)31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766(1766-01-14) (aged 42)6 August 174614 January 1766Son of Christian VIOldenburgFrederick V of Norway
Christian VII(1749-01-29)29 January 1749 – 13 March 1808(1808-03-13) (aged 59)14 January 176613 March 1808Son of Frederick VOldenburgChristian VII of Norway
Frederick VI(1768-01-28)28 January 1768 – 3 December 1839(1839-12-03) (aged 71)13 March 18087 February 1814Son of Christian VIIOldenburgFrederick VI of Norway

Kings of Denmark (1814–1918)

[edit]
NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Frederick VI(1768-01-28)28 January 1768 – 3 December 1839(1839-12-03) (aged 71)7 February 18143 December 1839Son of Christian VIIOldenburgFrederick VI of Denmark
Christian VIII(1786-09-18)18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848(1848-01-20) (aged 61)3 December 183920 January 1848Son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and grandson of Frederick VOldenburgChristian VIII of Denmark
Frederick VII(1808-10-06)6 October 1808 – 15 November 1863(1863-11-15) (aged 55)20 January 184815 November 1863Son of Christian VIIIOldenburgFrederick VII of Denmark
Christian IX(1818-04-08)8 April 1818 – 29 January 1906(1906-01-29) (aged 87)15 November 186329 January 1906Son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg and great-grandson of Frederick VGlücksburgChristian IX of Denmark
Frederik VIII(1843-06-03)3 June 1843 – 14 May 1912(1912-05-14) (aged 68)29 January 190614 May 1912Son of Christian IXGlücksburgFrederik VIII of Denmark
Christian X(1870-09-26)26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947(1947-04-20) (aged 76)14 May 19121 December 1918Son of Frederik VIIIGlücksburgChristian X of Denmark

Kings of Iceland (1918–1944)

[edit]
NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Kristján X
[2]
(1870-09-26)26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947(1947-04-20) (aged 76)1 December 191817 June 1944Son of Frederik VIIIGlücksburgChristian X of Denmark

Presidents of Iceland (1944–present)

[edit]

There have been seven presidents since the establishment of the republic.

Term: 1 appointed · 2 died in office · 3 uncontested

President Took office Left office Duration Term Prime ministers
1 Sveinn Björnsson
(1881–1952)
17 June 1944 25 January 19522 7 years, 7 months, 8 days
(2,778 days)
1 (1944)1 Björn Þórðarson
Ólafur Thors
Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson
Ólafur Thors
Steingrímur Steinþórsson
2 (1945)3
3 (1949)3
Regent of Iceland 1941–1944, later became the first president of Iceland. In 1950 considered forming a government that did not rely on parliamentary support after leaders of the parliamentary parties had reached an impasse. The only president to die in office; this led to a vacancy, the powers of the office being constitutionally vested jointly in the prime minister (Steingrímur Steinþórsson), the president of the Parliament (Jón Pálmason) and the president of the Supreme Court (Jón Ásbjörnsson).
2 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson
(1894–1972)
1 August 1952 31 July 1968 16 years
(5,844 days)
4 (1952) Steingrímur Steinþórsson
Ólafur Thors
Hermann Jónasson
Emil Jónsson
Ólafur Thors
Bjarni Benediktsson
Ólafur Thors
Bjarni Benediktsson
5 (1956)3
6 (1960)3
7 (1964)3
First president elected by popular vote.
3 Kristján Eldjárn
(1916–1982)
1 August 1968 31 July 1980 12 years
(4,383 days)
8 (1968) Bjarni Benediktsson
Jóhann Hafstein
Ólafur Jóhannesson
Geir Hallgrímsson
Ólafur Jóhannesson
Benedikt Sigurðsson Gröndal
Gunnar Thoroddsen
9 (1972)3
10 (1976)3
At one point considered forming a government that did not rely on parliamentary support after leaders of the parliamentary parties had reached an impasse.
4 Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
(born 1930)
1 August 1980 31 July 1996 16 years
(5,844 days)
11 (1980) Gunnar Thoroddsen
Steingrímur Hermannsson
Þorsteinn Pálsson
Steingrímur Hermannsson
Davíð Oddsson
12 (1984)3
13 (1988)
14 (1992)3
Was the world's first elected female president. Won first term in office with the lowest historical share of the votes for a first-term election (33.79%) but overwhelmingly won her third-term election in 1988.
5 Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
(born 1943)
1 August 1996 31 July 2016 20 years
(7,305 days)
15 (1996) Davíð Oddsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson
Geir Haarde
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
16 (2000)3
17 (2004)
18 (2008)3
19 (2012)
First to use the constitutional veto power under Article 26 to deny signing a law from the Parliament. Used it again on two occasions.
6 Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson
(born 1968)
1 August 2016 31 July 2024 8 years
(2,921 days)
20 (2016) Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson
Bjarni Benediktsson
Katrín Jakobsdóttir
Bjarni Benediktsson
21 (2020)
Overwhelmingly won his second-term election in 2020.
7 Halla Tómasdóttir
(born 1968)
1 August 2024 Incumbent 125 days 22 (2024) Bjarni Benediktsson
Won with the second lowest historical share of the votes for a first-term election (34.15%). This was her second attempt at a presidential run, the first one having been in 2016 where she came in second.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Lars O. Lagerqvist & Nils Åberg in Kings & Rulers of Sweden ISBN 91-87064-35-9 p. 22
  2. ^ Sveinn Björnsson, ruled as Regent from 1941 to 1944.