The officeholder kept a connection between Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatia and the Hungarian Kingdom (and also the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary).
In accordance with the Article 44 of the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement the position of minister without portfolio emerged, representing the interests of Croatia-Slavonia and Dalmatia in the Hungarian cabinet, who became responsible to the National Assembly in Pest (later Budapest), which also functioned as a joint legislature after 1868 (however the separately administered Dalmatia sent delegates to the Imperial Council, not the Hungarian parliament).
On 31 January 1869, Emperor-King Franz Joseph I ordered the abolition of the Croatian Court Chancellery in Vienna which was officially replaced by the Royal Ministry of Dalmatia, Croatia and Slavonia (after 1873 Ministry of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia) in the Hungarian capital and the autonomous Royal Land Government in Zagreb.
However, the position de jure existed until the proclamation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic in March 1919.
Zsigmond Kunfi, as the last de facto minister of Croatian Affairs, was entrusted with the ministry's liquidation between 6 November 1918 and 19 January 1919.