was a Danish and Norwegian title, which was conferred by the
king
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
until 1909 and entailed a third-class rank in the
order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of importance applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. For individuals, it is most often used for diplomats in attendance at very formal occasions. It can also be used in the context of ...
, and thus the right to enroll one's daughters in
Gisselfeld Convent and
Vemmetofte Convent. It was awarded to civil servants and some business people.
Although literally meaning '
councilor of state', the title was purely honorary. The title could also be obtained by depositing a sum of money in the king's coffers. The same was true of other honorary titles such as (Norwegian , 'councilor of justice') and (Norwegian , 'councilor of the
chancellery').
Shipping magnate
Hans Niels Andersen, for example, held the title. A particularly distinguished variant was the title ('
privy councilor'), which was introduced in 1808 and conferred the rank of second class. In the Danish monarchy, however, the king's advisory ministers bore the title of , not , and very few had a seat on the
privy council.
The title was widely used during the
Romantic era
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
but was formally abolished in 1909, but several business leaders received the title later. Bank director received it in 1911. Wholesaler William Richardt Tidemand, Holbæk, was appointed upon
King Frederik VIII's visit due to the inauguration of the city's new town hall on 11 February 1911. Printer (1 April 1912) was the last recipient of the title. The title is protected.
The wife of an bore the title of .
Marie Kofoed was the only woman to be awarded the title on her own merits, after inheriting her husband's assets and doing charitable work.
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{{Authority control
Honorary titles of Denmark
Honorary titles of Norway
1909 disestablishments