Historical background: Office of the Prime Minister

The prime minister has had a secretariat with more than one adviser since shortly after Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold and his government returned from exile in London in 1945. 

Soon this secretariat came to be known as the "Office of the Prime Minister".  The Office was formally established with three state secretaries and a small number of civil servants in 1956. 

In 1969, the duties of the Council of State Secretariat were transferred to the Office of the Prime Minister, thus putting two important functions from the early 1800s – the secretariats of the Council of State and the prime minister – under the same roof.

Read more about the history of the Office of the Prime Minister here.

The prime minister has had a secretariat with more than one adviser since shortly after Prime Minister Johan Nygaardsvold and his government returned from exile in London in 1945. Photo: Office of the Prime Minister.