Sir Nils Olav III is a king penguin, however solely holds a rank equal to brigadier normal within the Norwegian Army. Give him time: He’ll rise via the ranks ultimately. He is held an extended profession for somebody that began his service at a junior enlisted rank — and will get promoted repeatedly.
The present iteration of Sir Nils Olav is the third in a line of penguins which have resided on the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. Till 2016, his official title was colonel in chief, a ceremonial rank in army items of Commonwealth international locations, those who have been as soon as a part of the British Empire.
Because the title suggests, Sir Nils Olav III is the patron of the Norwegian King’s Royal Guard. So how did a penguin in Scotland come to be the ceremonial chief of the Norwegian king’s bodyguard?
In line with the Edinburgh Zoo, the primary king penguin to return to the zoo was a present of the Norwegian firm Christian Salvesen in 1913. Salvesen himself died in 1911, however the firm not solely established a couple of companies in Scotland, however many members of the Salvesen household additionally fought in World Warfare I.
The patronage of the Salvesen household established memorials, housing and particular veterans houses there after the conflict. The penguins of the zoo are a particular reminiscence of the Salvesens’ and their firm’s contributions.
In 1961, the Norwegian King’s Guard visited Edinburgh to participate within the annual Royal Edinburgh Army Tattoo, one of many world’s largest army festivals, made up of army bands. Lt. Nils Egelien of the battalion visited the penguin colony on the zoo throughout his go to.
He turned so enamored with the penguins that he adopted one when he returned to Edinburgh in 1972. The penguin was named Nils after the lieutenant and Olav after then-King of Norway, Olav V. Nils Olav was granted the rank of visekorporal, the equal of lance corporal — however he wouldn’t be a terminal lance.
Each time the Norwegian King’s Guard returns to Edinburgh, Nils Olav receives a promotion. In 1982, he was elevated to corporal, and in 1987, he was made a sergeant. Sgt. Nils Olav died shortly after making his rank in 1987, so the battalion adopted one other king penguin, a 2-year-old who picked up the place the unique left off.
Nils Olav II was promoted to regimental sergeant main in 1993, to honourable regimental sergeant main in 2001 and to colonel in chief in 2005. In 2008, King Harald V of Norway permitted a particular title for the king penguin: Nils Olav II was knighted in a ceremony on the Edinburgh Zoo.
The penguin walked alongside a formation of 130 members of the King’s Guard, flanked by the King’s Guard colour detachment. He was knighted by British Maj. Gen. Euan Loudon on behalf of Norway’s King Harald V. The colonel in chief badge tied to his flipper was then changed by a badge representing his knighthood.
Sir Nils Olav II died shortly after his knighting ceremony – king penguins can reside so long as 40 years in captivity – and was once more changed by a 3rd penguin, Sir Nils Olav III. When the King’s Guard visited Edinburgh in August 2016, it promoted its patron to brigadier.
As we speak, a bronze statue of Sir Nils Olav III stands outdoors of the zoo’s Penguins Rock. One other statue of the penguin stands on the King’s Guard compound in Oslo, Norway.
— Blake Stilwell might be reached at blake.stilwell@army.com. He may also be discovered on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Fb.
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