Starmer becomes first UK PM to receive top French honour

Sir Keir Starmer has go the archetypal serving UK premier curate to beryllium awarded France's apical honour, the Legion d'honneur.

He received the grant astatine the extremity of a gathering of the alleged Coalition of the Willing - the radical of countries Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron helped acceptable up to assistance Ukraine successful the aftermath of Russia's full-scale penetration of 2022.

In his tribute, Macron praised Sir Keir's "decency" and expressed his gratitude for the "commitments for evidently your country, but the information of Europe, Ukraine, the bilateral relationship".

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was among those to wage tribute to the outgoing premier curate who is owed to permission his station adjacent week.

Presenting Sir Keir with the award, Macron said: "I wanted to reiterate my gratitude and the gratitude of the French people, evidently for your years arsenic premier minister.

"I person to say, each the quality qualities that we larn to appreciate, each those stay precise important to each of us. We recovered with you a precise reliable and affable partner."

In summation to Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz besides thanked Sir Keir astatine the lawsuit successful the French statesmanlike palace.

Every year, astir 2,000 French radical and 200 overseas nationals are awarded the Order of the Legion of Honour successful designation of "outstanding merits".

Sir Winston Churchill is among those honoured - having received the highest fertile of the bid known arsenic Grand Croix (Grand Cross), which is fixed to those who person continued to render "outstanding merit" implicit a play of time.

However, the grant has been arguable since being established by Napoleon Bonaparte successful 1802.

Apart from the likes of Nelson Mandela and erstwhile US President Dwight Eisenhower, and indeed, Zelensky himself, the honour has besides gone to Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi - and earlier to Benito Mussolini of wartime Italy and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

So far, lone 1 overseas person has been stripped of the honour, erstwhile Panamian President Manuel Norriega.

Under Macron, Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has besides seen the decoration withdrawn aft a bid of accusations of intersexual harassment and rape.