A Knighted Penguin at the Edinburgh Zoo Is Promoted to Brigadier by the Royal Guard of Norway

Lori Dorn
August 24, 2016

On August 22, 2016, a king penguin named Sir Nils Olav III, who resides at the RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, was promoted from his current rank of Knight to Brigadier by the Norwegian Royal Guard. Brigadier Sir Nils Olav proudly inspected his troops until a nasty itch warranted his immediate attention.

His Majesty the King of Norway’s Guard paid a very special visit to RZSS Edinburgh Zoo to bestow a unique honour upon our resident king penguin Sir Nils Olav. Already a knight, the most famous king penguin in the world was given the new title of “Brigadier Sir Nils Olav”.

Sir Nils Olav’s 2008 Knighthood Ceremony

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo employees explain how they prepared Sir Olav for his promotion ceremony.

Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.