Starmer Receives France's Top Honor, First Serving UK PM Awarded Legion d'honneur in 2026
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 14
Starmer Receives France's Top Honor, First Serving UK PM Awarded Legion d'honneur in 2026
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 14
Summary
Sir Keir Starmer was awarded the Legion d'honneur at the close of a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, becoming the first sitting UK prime minister to receive France's highest honor.
Emmanuel Macron said the award recognized Starmer's contributions to Ukraine, European security and UK-France ties, calling him a reliable partner and praising his decency.
Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also paid tribute as Starmer prepares to leave office next week.
About 2,000 French citizens and 200 foreign nationals receive the order each year; past recipients range from Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela to Vladimir Putin and Muammar Gaddafi.