UK Prime Minister Receives France’s Légion d’honneur

Keir Starmer received France’s Légion d’honneur from President Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony in Paris. The award marks the first time a UK prime minister has been presented with the honour by a French president. Macron cited Starmer’s leadership in forming the coalition of the willing, a group of over 30 countries chaired jointly by France and the UK that pledged financial and military support to Ukraine.

Background on the award The only other British prime minister to receive a comparable distinction was Winston Churchill, who was awarded the higher Grand-Croix level in 1958 for his wartime leadership. Starmer attended Bastille Day events in Paris before the presentation, meeting British troops and observing the parade.

Macron stated that Starmer had played a “historic role” in establishing the coalition and thanked him for his “personal leadership” and contributions to European security.

Prior recipients and context Previous recipients of the Grand-Croix include Dwight D Eisenhower, Willy Brandt and Nelson Mandela. The Légion d’honneur was also awarded to Bashar al-Assad in 2001 and Vladimir Putin in 2006, though both awards were later revoked.

At a coalition summit held the same week, officials from participating countries paid tribute to Starmer’s international role. Starmer said support for Ukraine would continue under his successor.