The Netherlands has long appointed ministers to oversee relations with the other territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and, historically, the administration of its colonies. From 1959 to 1998, responsibility for kingdom relations was assigned to a cabinet member in addition to their primary ministerial role. In 1998, this portfolio was formally placed under the minister of the Interior, though in practice it is often delegated to a minister without portfolio or state secretary within the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. Eric van der Burg has held this position since 23 February 2026, serving as state secretary for Kingdom Relations and Effective Government.

List of ministers of kingdom relations CabinetMinisterTerm of officeTitleImageNamePartyStartEndVan Zuylen van NijeveltPieter Mijer 1 June 1866 17 September 1866Minister of ColoniesNicolaas Trakranen 17 September 1866 20 July 1867Johannes Hasselman 20 July 1867 4 June 1868Van Bosse–FockEngelbertus de Waal 4 June 1868 16 November 1870Lodewijk Gerard Brocx(ad interim) 16 November 1870 4 January 1871Thorbecke IIIPieter Philip van Bosse 4 January 1871 6 July 1872De Vries–Fransen van de PutteIsaäc Dignus Fransen van de Putte 6 July 1872 27 August 1874Heemskerk–Van Lynden van SandenburgWillem van Goltstein van Oldenaller 27 August 1874 11 September 1876Fokko Alting Mees 11 September 1876 3 November 1877Kappeyne van de CoppelloPieter Philip van Bosse 3 November 1877 21 February 1879Hendrikus Wichers(ad interim) 21 February 1879 12 March 1879Otto van Rees 12 March 1879 20 August 1879Van Lynden van SandenburgWillem van Goltstein van Oldenaller 20 August 1879 1 September 1882Willem Maurits de Brauw 1 September 1882 23 February 1883Willem van Erp Taalman Kip(ad interim) 23 February 1883 23 April 1883Jan HeemskerkGerard van Bloemen Waanders 23 April 1883 25 November 1883August Willem Philip Weitzel(ad interim) 25 November 1883 27 February 1884Jacobus Sprenger van Eyk 27 February 1884 21 April 1888MackayLevinus Keuchenius 21 April 1888 24 February 1890Æneas Mackay 24 February 1890 21 August 1891Van TienhovenWillem Karel van Dedem 21 August 1891 9 May 1894RöellJacob Bergsma 9 May 1894 27 July 1897PiersonJacob Theodoor Cremer 27 July 1897 1 August 1901KuyperTitus van Asch van Wijck 1 August 1901 9 September 1902Johannes Bergansius(ad interim) 9 September 1902 25 September 1902Alexander Idenburg 25 September 1902 17 August 1905De MeesterDirk Fock 17 August 1905 12 February 1908Theo HeemskerkTheo Heemskerk(ad interim) 12 February 1908 20 May 1908Alexander Idenburg 20 May 1908 16 August 1909Jan Hendrik de Waal Malefijt 16 August 1909 29 August 1913Cort van der LindenThomas Bastiaan Pleyte 29 August 1913 8 December 1915Jean Jacques Rambonnet(acting) 8 December 1915 17 January 1916Thomas Bastiaan Pleyte 17 January 1916 9 September 1918Ruijs de Beerenbrouck IAlexander Idenburg 9 September 1918 13 November 1919Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck(ad interim) 13 November 1919 13 November 1919Ruijs de Beerenbrouck IISimon de Graaff 13 November 1919 4 August 1925Colijn IHendrikus Colijn 4 August 1925 1 October 1925Charles Welter 1 October 1925 8 March 1926De Geer IJacob Koningsberger 8 March 1926 10 August 1929Ruijs de Beerenbrouck IIISimon de Graaff 10 August 1929 26 May 1933Colijn IIHendrikus Colijn 26 May 1933 24 June 1937Colijn IIIColijn IVCharles Welter 24 June 1937 25 July 1939Colijn VCornelis van den Bussche 25 July 1939 10 August 1939De Geer IICharles Welter 10 August 1939 17 November 1941Gerbrandy IGerbrandy IIPieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy(ad interim) 17 November 1941 21 May 1942Huib van Mook 21 May 1942 23 February 1945Gerbrandy IIIJosef Schmutzer 23 February 1945 25 June 1945Schermerhorn–DreesJohann Logemann 25 June 1945 3 July 1946Minister of Overseas TerritoriesBeel IJan Jonkman 3 July 1946 30 August 1947Louis Beel(acting) 30 August 1947 3 November 1947Jan Jonkman 3 November 1947 7 August 1948Drees–Van SchaikMaan Sassen 7 August 1948 14 February 1949Johan van Maarseveen 14 February 1949 15 March 1951Drees IWillem Drees(ad interim) 15 March 1951 30 March 1951Minister of Union Affairs and Overseas TerritoriesLeo Peters 30 March 1951 2 September 1952Drees IIWillem Kernkamp 2 September 1952 18 July 1956Minister of Overseas TerritoriesKees Staf(ad interim)18 July 195613 October 1956Drees III13 October 195614 February 1957Minister of Overseas AffairsGerard Helders14 February 195719 May 1959Beel IIDe QuayHenk Korthals 19 May 1959 24 July 1963Deputy Prime MinisterMarijnenBarend Biesheuvel 24 July 1963 5 April 1967CalsZijlstraDe JongJoop Bakker 5 April 1967 6 July 1971Biesheuvel IRoelof Nelissen 6 July 1971 1 February 1972Biesheuvel IIPierre Lardinois 1 February 1972 1 January 1973Minister for Surinamese and Netherlands Antillean AffairsMolly Geertsema 1 January 1973 11 May 1973Den UylGaius de Gaay Fortman 11 May 1973 19 December 1977Minister for Netherlands Antillean AffairsVan Agt IFons van der Stee 19 December 1977 11 September 1981Van Agt IIJoop den Uyl 11 September 1981 29 May 1982Van Agt IIIJan de Koning 29 May 1982 14 July 1986Lubbers ILubbers II14 July 19867 November 1989Minister for Netherlands Antillean and Aruban AffairsLubbers IIIRuud Lubbers(ad interim) 7 November 1989 14 November 1989Ernst Hirsch Ballin 14 November 1989 27 May 1994Ruud Lubbers(ad interim) 27 May 1994 22 August 1994Kok IJoris Voorhoeve 22 August 1994 3 August 1998Kok IIBram Peper 3 August 1998 13 March 2000Minister of the Interior and Kingdom RelationsRoger van Boxtel(ad interim) 13 March 2000 24 March 2000Klaas de Vries 24 March 2000 22 July 2002Balkenende IJohan Remkes 22 July 2002 27 May 2003Minister of the Interior and Kingdom RelationsBalkenende II 27 May 2003 22 February 2007Minister of the Interior and Kingdom RelationsBalkenende IIIBalkenende IVGuusje ter Horst 22 February 2007 23 February 2010Ernst Hirsch Ballin 23 February 2010 14 October 2010Rutte IPiet Hein Donner 14 October 2010 16 December 2011Minister of the Interior and Kingdom RelationsLiesbeth Spies 16 December 2011 5 November 2012Rutte IIRonald Plasterk 5 November 2012 29 June 2016Stef Blok(acting) 29 June 2016 16 September 2016Ronald Plasterk 16 September 2016 26 October 2017Rutte IIIKajsa Ollongren 26 October 2017 1 November 2019Minister of the Interior and Kingdom RelationsRaymond Knops(acting) 1 November 2019 14 April 2020Kajsa Ollongren 14 April 2020 10 January 2022Rutte IVHanke Bruins Slot 10 January 2022 5 September 2023Hugo de Jonge 5 September 2023 2 July 2024SchoofJudith Uitermark2 July 202422 August 2025David van Weel(ad interim)22 August 20255 September 2025Frank Rijkaart5 September 202523 February 2026JettenPieter Heerma23 February 2026Incumbent

List of ministers without portfolio CabinetMinisterTerm of officeTitleMinistryImageNamePartyStartEndGerbrandy IIAdipati Soejono9 June 19425 January 1943Minister without portfolioColoniesBeel ILubbertus Götzen11 November 194715 March 1951Minister without portfolioOverseas TerritoriesDrees–Van SchaikBalkenende IIThom de Graaf27 May 200323 March 2005Minister for Government Reform and Kingdom RelationsInterior and Kingdom RelationsAlexander Pechtold31 March 20053 July 2006Balkenende IIIAtzo Nicolaï7 July 200622 February 2007

List of state secretaries for kingdom relations CabinetMinisterTerm of officeTitleMinistryImageNamePartyStartEndDrees ILubbertus Götzen15 March 19512 September 1952State Secretary for Union Affairs and Overseas TerritoriesUnion Affairs and Overseas TerritoriesDe QuayTheo Bot23 November 195924 July 1963State Secretary for the InteriorInteriorKok IIGijs de Vries3 August 199822 July 2002State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom RelationsInterior and Kingdom RelationsBalkenende IVAnk Bijleveld22 February 200714 October 2010Rutte IIIRaymond Knops26 October 2017 1 November 2019 14 April 202010 January 2022Rutte IVAlexandra van Huffelen10 January 20222 July 2024State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and DigitalisationSchoofZsolt Szabó2 July 20243 June 2025State Secretary for Digitalisation and Kingdom RelationsEddie van Marum19 June 202523 February 2026State Secretary for Digitalisation, Kingdom Relations and Reparations for GroningenJettenEric van der Burg23 February 2026IncumbentState Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Effective Government

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