Regeringsråd

Regeringsråd, literally translated as "councillor of government," is a historical title used in Sweden for a high-ranking official who served as an adviser to the king and as a member of the Privy Council (riksråd). The office appeared in the early modern period and was especially associated with the administrative and political machinery of the 17th and 18th centuries, when governance relied on a council of trusted officials to draft policy and supervise state administration.

A regeringsråd held senior responsibilities within the government, including contributing to policy deliberations, drafting decrees, and representing the crown in domestic governance when needed. The role was part of the broader riksråd structure, and individuals in this position acted as key intermediaries between the monarch and the various state departments. The precise duties and standing of a regeringsråd could vary with time and circumstance.

As Sweden developed a more formal ministerial system in the late 18th and 19th centuries, the traditional office of regeringsråd gradually diminished in importance or was subsumed into newer ranks, and the title fell out of regular use. Today, regeringsråd is primarily encountered in historical texts and biographies, where it denotes a high-ranking official within the old Swedish governmental framework.

See also: riksråd, kansliråd, statsråd.