Nils Olav

Coordinates: 55°56′40″N 3°16′20″W / 55.94444°N 3.27222°W / 55.94444; -3.27222
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

55°56′40″N 3°16′20″W / 55.94444°N 3.27222°W / 55.94444; -3.27222

Nils Olav
Edinburgh, Scotland
ResidenceEdinburgh Zoo
Named afterNils Egelien and Olav Siggerud[1]
Military career
Allegiance Norway
Service/branch Norwegian Army
Years of service
  • 1972–1987 (first)
  • 1987 – after 2008 (second)
  • before 2016 – present (third)[2]
Rank
Major-General and military mascot
)

Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the

King's Guard. The name 'Nils Olav' and associated ranks have been passed down through three king penguins since 1972, the current holder being Nils Olav III.[2][6]

History

The family of Norwegian shipping magnate Christian Salvesen gave a king penguin to Edinburgh Zoo when the zoo opened in 1913.[3]

When the

Edinburgh Military Tattoo of 1961 for a drill display,[7] a lieutenant named Nils Egelien became interested in the zoo's penguin colony. When the King's Guard returned to Edinburgh in 1972, Egelien arranged for the regiment to adopt a penguin. This penguin was named Nils Olav in honour of Nils Egelien, commander of the drill platoon, and Olav Siggerud, contingent commander of HMKG in 1972.[1]

King's Guard, of which he is colonel-in-chief
, following his knighthood ceremony in 2008. Military insignia is attached to his right flipper.
The bronze statue of Nils Olav

Nils Olav was initially given the

Huseby
, Oslo.

The next honour was a

King Harald V and Nils was the first penguin to receive such an honour in the Norwegian Army.[10] During the ceremony a crowd of several hundred people watched the 130 guardsmen on parade at the zoo, and a citation from the King was read out, which described Nils as a penguin "in every way qualified to receive the honour and dignity of knighthood".[5]

A third penguin, Nils Olav III, took over at some point between 2008 and 2016.[2] On 22 August 2016 he was promoted to brigadier in a ceremony attended by over 50 members of the King's Guard.[2][3][11][12] On 21 August 2023 he was promoted to major general.[13] Nils Olav is recognised by Guinness World Records as the highest-ranking penguin.[14]

Nils Olav outranked the human Nils Egelien from 2005 onwards;[3] Egelien died on 11 December 2020, aged 87.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Eikli, Erling (22 August 2023). "Generalmajor Nils Olav III: Ikke oppkalt etter kong Olav" (in Norwegian). Forsvarets Forum. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "King penguin made a Brigadier in Edinburgh". BBC News. 22 August 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Sir Nils Olav". Edinburgh Zoo. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  4. ^ Panganiban, Roma (4 April 2013). "Sir Nils Olav, Norway's Penguin Knight". mentalfloss.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Military penguin becomes a 'Sir'". BBC News. 15 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  6. ^ "Norwegian Knight". Scandinavian Press. Vol. 15, no. 4. Fall 2008. p. 9.
  7. ^ "The Edinburgh Military Tattoo Programme 1961". Archived from the original on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
  8. ^ "Nils Olav promoted to Colonel in Chief". Norwegian Consulate in Edinburgh. 17 August 2005. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. ^ "King penguin receives Norwegian knighthood" Archived 21 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine. 15 August 2008. NBC News. Retrieved 13 June 2010. (Archived on 13 June 2010)
  10. ^ "Penguin power: Norwegian regiment honours pint-sized chief". Sydney: ABC News. 16 August 2008. Archived from the original on 24 February 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  11. ^ "Nils Olav the most famous king penguin in the world, parades his way to a new honour". Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. 22 August 2016. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  12. ^ "Sir Nils Olav". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Sir Nils Olav promoted at Edinburgh Zoo". Edinburgh Zoo. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Edinburgh penguin's GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ title upgraded after historic promotion". Edinburgh Zoo. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Nils Steen Egelien". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 30 December 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

External links

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