Sir Nils Olav is the very model of modern Major General… oh, and he’s a penguin.
To give him his full title (and the respect he deserves), Major General Sir Nils Olav III, Baron of the Bouvet Islands, is the world’s highest-ranking penguin.
The 21-year-old king penguin lives at Edinburgh Zoo, in Scotland, UK, and was promoted to his new role earlier this year – taking him even further up the pecking order!
Waddle he do with all that power?
King penguins are very special to the zoo. Not only is the species its mascot, but Sir Nils is also a mascot for the Norwegian King’s Guard.
He’s the third king penguin at the zoo to become the official mascot of the King’s Guard, with this all beginning many years ago.
The zoo’s first-ever king penguin was a gift from the Norwegian family of Christian Salvesen in 1913.
Then in 1961, when the Norwegian King’s Guard visited the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for a drill display, Major Nils Egelien fell in love with the penguin colony, saying the regal march of the king penguins reminded him of how the King’s Guard soldiers marched.
When they returned to Edinburgh in 1972, Egelien arranged for the regiment to adopt one of the king penguins as their very own military mascot.
Sir Nils was named after the Major and King Olav V, who was King of Norway at the time, and was originally a Lance Corporal.
But interestingly, he now outranks the Major he was named in honour of thanks to his many promotions over the years:
• 1982 – Corporal
• 1987 – Sergeant
• 1993 – Regimental Sergeant Major
• 2001 – Honourable Regimental Sergeant Major
• 2005 – Colonel-in-Chief
• 2008 – Knighthood (he was Knighted by King Harald V of Norway – son of King Olav V)
• 2016 – Brigadier
• 2023 – Major General
Sir Nils now holds the third-highest rank in the Norwegian Army, but don’t think for one second that he hasn’t earned each and every career advancement.
The penguin is very highly regarded by the Norwegian King’s Guard and has received his honours and medals as a reward for his outstanding service and exemplary conduct.
The Guardsmen stop by to visit Sir Nils every few years during their visits to the city to perform at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Alison MacLean, the zoo’s Animal Team Leader, said: “Sir Nils loves the interaction he has whenever the King’s Guard visit. He loves the fuss and is definitely a penguin that loves theatrics. He did so well coming out in August and seeing everybody, he made it look easy.
Nils is regarded very highly among the Norwegian King’s Guardsmen and has received his honours and medals due to his outstanding service and good conduct.
"We’re so proud to care for the world’s most famous penguin, just as much as the over 100 other penguins at Penguins Rock.
Sir Nils is a much-loved figure at the zoo.
He’s extremely affectionate towards his keepers and often runs over to greet them whenever they enter the enclosure.
Of course, that could all be down to him believing that as the highest-ranking penguin he gets first dibs on the buckets of fish being brought in at feeding time.
A 4-ft bronze statue of Sir Nils can be found right outside his enclosure at the zoo, and an identical statue stands at the Norwegian King’s Guard base in Huseby Leir, Oslo.
Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief, Craig Glenday, recently visited the zoo to update Sir Nils’s record and present him with a shiny new certificate.
Craig said: “I’ve been lucky enough to encounter a number of Knights in my time at Guinness World Records – Sir Richard Branson, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Sir Christopher Lee, to name just three – but only one could swim to a depth of 50 metres at 8 miles an hour with a mouthful of fish.
“Sir Nils is member of a rare club of creatures that have been promoted to positions of seniority, alongside the likes of Reserve Deputy Sherrif Bert the camel, Major Perseus the horse, Lance Corporal Derby the sheep and Master Corporal Juno the bear.
"I’m greatly honoured to be able to confer on to Sir Nils another promotion today, upgrading his Guinness World Records title to reflect his exalted position as Major General. Congratulations, Sir Nils.”
Michael Livingstone, Senior Penguin Keeper at RZSS, said, “We are so proud to receive Sir Nils’s updated world record title. It’s an incredible privilege to not only work with a knighted penguin, but a Guinness World Records title holder as well.
Nils was promoted to Major General in recognition of his good conduct and for being a superb example for the rest of our penguins. He is a superb example for penguins around the world.
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