Keir Starmer has become the first UK prime minister to be presented with the Légion d’honneur by a French president, in recognition of his work with France on the security of Europe.
Emmanuel Macron awarded the historic honour to Starmer for his leadership in setting up the coalition of the willing – a group of countries chaired by France and the UK that have pledged to support Ukraine – at a critical moment for Europe in early 2025.
The only other British prime minister to receive a similar award – at a higher level, the Grand-Croix of the Légion d’honneur – was Winston Churchill in 1958 in recognition of his leadership and close ties to France during the second world war.
Awarding the honour to Starmer underlines the significant shift from Macron’s more testy relationships with some previous prime ministers, the French leader having frequently clashed with the Conservatives Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss over Brexit. » | Pippa Crerar | Political editor | Tuesday, July 14, 2026
