Keir Starmer became the first sitting British prime minister to receive France's highest honour, the Légion d'honneur, in a ceremony with President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. The award recognises Starmer's leadership in building the 'coalition of the willing', a Franco-British-led group of nations supporting Ukraine that was established in early 2025.
The presentation came at the close of a meeting of the coalition, which includes Denmark among its members and was formed in response to Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. Macron praised Starmer's commitment to European security and Ukraine, thanking him for his steadfast engagement on the continent's defence.
While Winston Churchill received the Grand-Croix of the Légion d'honneur in 1958, Starmer is the first British prime minister to be decorated directly by a serving French president.