Hans Majestet Kongens Garde @ The Tower of London.

Nils Olav
The regiment's official mascot is a King Penguin named Nils Olav, a resident of Edinburgh Zoo. The first penguin was adopted during the regiment's first participation in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1961 and was given the rank of visekorporal (lance corporal). Nils Olav was promoted each time the King's Guard has returned to the Tattoo. In 1982 he was made corporal and was 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.[1]. Nils Olav was the first penguin to hold this rank in the Norwegian army. He was also awarded the Norwegian Army's Long Service and Good Conduct medal on that date.
The current mascot is Nils Olav II, who on 15 August 2008 was knighted at a ceremony outside the zoo's penguin enclosure by British Major General Euan Loudon acting on behalf of Norway's King Harald V. Reuters reported that a detachment of the King's Guard in full dress uniform was reviewed by the penguin, who wore his new insignia on a badge strapped to one flipper.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• garde
• soldier
• brass
• band
• london
• tower
• music
• mesmo
• mesmoland
• England
• UK

[petkol]

"I don't want excuses, I want my podium!"

~Sir Nils Olav

[mesmoland]

@petkol Not bad for a 3-foot tall penguin

[Jeeves1952]

They are great! Are they wearing plumbed bowlers?! Hmmmmm.

[ShipersUK]

@solensdatter2 The 1st Foot Guards, or Grenadier Guards as they are now know, defeated Napolean's elite and previously undefeated Imperial Guard at Waterloo and as an honour for the regiments sacrifice adopted the Imperial Guards tradition of the bearskin caps. Its a tradition thats been going for nearly 200 years, good luck trying to get them to take them off.

[solensdatter2]

...is it true that The Queens Guard use 200 Black Bear Furs from Canada on their head....?

Maybe it's time to CHANGE Hats...?