Sir Nils Olav: The Penguin Who Outranked His Creator
In 1972, a Norwegian army officer named Nils Egelien visited Edinburgh Zoo during the Royal Military Tattoo. He arranged for one of the zoo's king penguins to be adopted as the official mascot of the Norwegian King's Guard. The penguin was named Nils Olav, combining the officer's first name with the name of the reigning Norwegian king, King Olav V. He was given the rank of lance corporal.
Over the next five decades, Nils Olav would be promoted through the ranks every few years. When each penguin died, the title passed to the next king penguin in Edinburgh Zoo's colony. The rank kept climbing. By 2008, it had reached the point where 130 Norwegian Guardsmen flew to Scotland in full dress uniform to knight him.
The Rank History
The promotions followed a formal schedule, each marked by a visit from the Norwegian King's Guard. Nils Olav was promoted to Corporal in 1982, Sergeant in 1987, and Regimental Sergeant Major in 1993. He was made Honourable Regimental Sergeant Major in 2001 and Colonel-in-Chief in 2005. Each ceremony was held at Edinburgh Zoo with Norwegian soldiers in attendance.
The title transfers when a Nils Olav dies. The penguin holding it now, Nils Olav III, is the third king penguin to carry the name and rank. The continuity between animals is treated as formal military succession.
The Knighting
On August 15, 2008, 130 soldiers from the Norwegian King's Guard arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in full ceremonial dress uniform. The knighthood had been approved by King Harald V of Norway. A citation from the King was read aloud describing Nils Olav as a penguin "in every way qualified to receive the honour and dignity of knighthood." A sword was tapped on either side of the penguin to confer the title.
The ceremony was witnessed by several hundred visitors at the zoo. After the knighthood, Nils Olav walked along the line of Norwegian soldiers. The guardsmen kept formation throughout.
Major General Sir Nils Olav III
Nils Olav was promoted to Brigadier in 2016 during another formal visit by the Norwegian King's Guard. He later reached the rank of Major General, the highest he has held. Guinness World Records recognizes him as the highest-ranking penguin in the world.
Major Nils Egelien, the officer who organized the original adoption in 1972, died in 2020. By then, the penguin he named had already outranked him.
Nils Olav III remains a resident of Edinburgh Zoo. The Norwegian King's Guard continues to visit.
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Sources
- Edinburgh Zoo (RZSS) — Nils Olav: The Most Famous King Penguin in the World — naming origin, rank history, promotion ceremonies
- Penguins International — The Celebration of Being Promoted to Major General Sir Nils Olav III — Major General promotion details
- The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo — A Guard of Honour for Sir Nils Olav — 2008 knighthood ceremony, 130 guardsmen, King Harald V citation
- Edinburgh Zoo (RZSS) — Sir Nils Olav Promoted at Edinburgh Zoo — 2016 promotion to Brigadier
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