Nils Olav

Colonel-in-Chief Sir Nils Olav is a King Penguin living in Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. He is the mascot and actual Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard. Nils was visited by the Norwegian King's Guard on the 15 August 2008 and awarded a knighthood. The honour was approved by the king of Norway, King Harald V. During the ceremony a crowd of several hundred people joined the 130 guardsmen at the zoo to hear a citation from King Harald the Fifth of Norway read out, which described Nils as a penguin "in every way qualified to receive the honour and dignity of knighthood".

Role in the military

Sir Nils Olav inspects the Royal Norwegian Guard. Rank insignia is attached to his right flipper.]]

When the Norwegian King's Guard visited Edinburgh Military Tattoo of 1961 for a Drill Display, a lieutenant called Nils Egelien became interested in Edinburgh Zoo's penguin colony. When the Guards once again returned to Edinburgh in 1972, he arranged for the unit to adopt a penguin. This penguin was named Nils Olav in honour of Nils Egelien, and King Olav V of Norway.

Nils Olav was given the rank of visekorporal (lance corporal) and has been promoted each time the King's Guard has returned to the Tattoo. In 1982 he was made corporal, and promoted to sergeant in 1987. Nils Olav died shortly after his promotion to sergeant, and his place of honour was taken by Nils Olav II, his two-year-old near-double. He was promoted in 1993 to the rank of regimental sergeant major. On August 18, 2005, he was promoted to Colonel-in-Chief and on 15 August 2008 he was awarded a knighthood. He is the first penguin to receive such an honour in the Norwegian army. At the same time a four foot high bronze statue of Nils Olav was presented to Edinburgh Zoo. The statue's inscription recognises the King's Guard and the Military Tattoo. A statue also stands at the Royal Norwegian Guard compound at Huseby, Oslo.

Norway presented the zoo with its first king penguin in 1913, the year of its opening.

In Norwegian he is consistently referred to only as the mascot of the King's Guard [], although both the plaque on his statue, and the website of the Norwegian Government's Consulate in Edinburgh, refer to his promotion to Colonel-in-Chief.

See also

  • William Windsor (goat)

References

External links

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Clark Gillies
6 January 2019
Heart of the zoo. Penguins parade a bit of a damp squib as it’s only ever 1 or 2 out walking at most. Good play area for kids. Head to the glass window next to Monkey House to see under the water
Lewis Keggin (SU4)
21 September 2014
There is a penguin parade at 2pm when they let the penguins walk around outside their enclosure every day
Regina????
24 August 2014
they are adorable, like the happy feet movie... ????
Simon Corcoran
18 September 2011
Focus on your family and not the penguins....you might lose something....
Load more comments
foursquare.com
8.0/10
659 people have been here
Map
26B Kaimes Road, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh EH12 6JS, UK Get directions
Thu 11:00 AM–4:00 PM
Fri 11:00 AM–3:00 PM
Sat 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Sun 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
Mon-Tue 11:00 AM–4:00 PM

Penguins Rock on Foursquare

Nils Olav on Facebook

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
The Principal Edinburgh George Street

starting $270

Le Monde Hotel

starting $233

Apple Apartments Edinburgh

starting $358

Old Waverley Hotel

starting $187

Mercure Edinburgh City Princes Street Hotel

starting $274

Destiny Scotland - Rose Street Flats

starting $135

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo, formally the Scottish National Zoological Park, is a

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
The Gyle Shopping Centre

The Gyle Shopping Centre is located in South Gyle, Edinburgh. The main

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle is a 16th century tower house with 19th century

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Dean Gallery

The Dean Gallery is an art gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is part

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Dean Cemetery

Dean Cemetery is a well-known cemetery in Dean Village in Edinburgh,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Craiglockhart Castle

Craiglockhart Castle is a 15th century ruin in the Craiglockhart

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
The Oxford Bar

The Oxford Bar is a public house situated on Young Street, Edinburgh,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Ross Fountain

Ross Fountain is an ornate iron fountain from the mid-19th Century

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty (French: Statue de la Liberté), officially

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Monument to the Independence of Brazil

The Monument to the Independence of Brazil (Portuguese: Monumento à

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Statue of Janko Kráľ

Statue of Janko Kráľ is located in the middle of Sad Janka Kráľa (li

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Seven Magic Mountains

Ugo Rondinone (born 1964) is a New York-based, Swiss-born mixed-media

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Tower of the Sun

The Tower of the Sun (太陽の塔, Taiyō no Tō) is a building created b

See all similar places