Sir Keir Starmer has become the first serving UK prime minister to be awarded France's highest civilian honour, the Legion d'honneur, at the close of a Coalition of the Willing meeting supporting Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron praised Starmer's "decency" and called him a reliable partner; Volodymyr Zelensky and Germany's Friedrich Merz also paid tribute. Established by Napoleon in 1802, the order is awarded annually to thousands of recipients and has a controversial history that includes both celebrated and divisive figures.
Starmer Becomes First Serving UK Prime Minister To Receive France’s Legion d'honneur
Macron praised Starmer's contribution to Ukraine and the security of Europe [Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street]
Sir Keir Starmer has become the first serving British prime minister to be decorated with France's highest civilian honour, the Legion d'honneur. The medal was presented at the close of a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" — the group of states that Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron helped form to support Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Tributes and Remarks
President Macron paid tribute to Starmer's leadership and personal qualities, praising his "decency" and thanking him for his "commitments for obviously your country, but the security of Europe, Ukraine, the bilateral relationship."
"I wanted to reiterate my gratitude and the gratitude of the French people, obviously for your years as prime minister," Macron said when presenting the award. "All the human qualities that we learn to appreciate... remain very important to all of us. We found with you a very reliable and friendly partner."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were among those who publicly paid tribute to the outgoing prime minister, who is due to leave office next week.
About the Legion d'honneur
Each year roughly 2,000 French citizens and around 200 foreign nationals are admitted to the Order of the Legion of Honour in recognition of "outstanding merits." The order was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and its highest grade, the Grand Croix (Grand Cross), has been awarded to figures such as Sir Winston Churchill.
Controversy and Past Recipients
The decoration has a long and sometimes contentious history. While it has been bestowed on widely admired leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Volodymyr Zelensky, it has also been given to more divisive figures including Russia's Vladimir Putin, Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and historically to Benito Mussolini and Francisco Franco. To date, only one foreign head of state — former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega — has been stripped of the honour. Under President Macron, Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein also had his decoration revoked following criminal allegations.
Why it matters: The award underlines the close UK–France cooperation on European security and support for Ukraine, while also highlighting the symbolic weight of state honours and their complicated histories.
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