EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO
Patron: HRH The
Princess Royal
Norway's King's Guard set for another penguin
promotion at Edinburgh Zoo
Honorary Colonel-in-Chief of
His Majesty The King's Guard of Norway, Nils Olav, is about to be promoted
again when the Royal Guardsmen - who are appearing at this month's Edinburgh
Tattoo (until August 23) - parade this Friday, August 15th for a special
ceremony at Edinburgh Zoo to confer their latest honour on the world's most
decorated Penguin.
130 members of the Norwegian
Guard will assemble that morning to honour king penguin Olav, but his new rank
will remain a secret until 11am that day. The promotion of
the honorary winged member of The Royal Norwegian Guard is once again shrouded
in secrecy, believed to be known only by Norway's King Harald V and those
closest to him.
It was on a visit to Edinburgh in 1962 that a young
lieutenant called Nils Egelien first encountered the penguins at the Zoo. On a
return visit ten years later he persuaded his regiment to sponsor a king
penguin, which they duly adopted as their mascot, awarded the ‘rank' of Lance
Corporal, and named Nils Olav (after Nils Egelien and Norway's then King Olav).
On subsequent visits to the Scottish capital Olav was promoted to Corporal in
1982, Sergeant (1987), regimental Sergeant Major (1993), Honourable Regimental
Sergeant Major (2001) and Honorary Colonel-in-Chief in 2005.
Major General Euan Loudon Chief Executive &
Producer of the Edinburgh Tattoo said: "I am honoured to have been asked by the
Norwegian Guard to perform the promotion ceremony for Nils. I understand he
continues to carry out his duties as Honorary Colonel in an exemplary fashion
and this latest award is clearly very much deserved."
Norwegian King's Guardsman,
Captain Rune Wiik said: "We are extremely proud of Nils Olav and pleased that
an enduring part of the Royal Guard is resident in Scotland helping to further strengthen
ties between our two countries."
- Log in to post comments