Sir
Nils Olav,
colonel-in-chief of the Norwegian Army's
King's Guard, inspects his troops in 2008. Olav was inducted into the army in 1972 with the rank of
lance corporal, and has received a series of promotions since then as well as a knighthood. As of 2019 he holds the rank of
brigadier. The name Nils Olav, and its associated ranks, have been used by three
king penguins over the years, all resident at
Edinburgh Zoo. The animal pictured is the second. His military insignia is attached to his flipper.
Photograph: Mark Owens