A king penguin at Edinburgh Zoo inspected the King of Norway's Guard at the zoo in an official ceremony yesterday .

His Majesty the King of Norway's Guard were in the Scottish capital for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. During their visit, they bestowed penguin Sir Nils Olav with the new title of Brigadier.

Nils Olav, the official mascot for the Norwegian Royal Guard, of which it is an honorary member, is no stranger to honours. In 2008, it was dubbed a knight for its good conduct .

Brigadier Sir Nils Olav conducted its inspection in front of guests, scores of public visitors, and around 50 uniformed soldiers of the Guard.

In 1972, a lieutenant called Nils Egelien arranged for the Norwegian King's Guard to adopt a king penguin at Edinburgh Zoo. The penguin was named after Nils Egelien and King Olav V, the then king of Norway.

The current king penguin is not the original Nils Olav, but the third one to bear this name.