French President Awards British Prime Minister the Legion of Honour

French President Emmanuel Macron awarded outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer the Legion of Honour, France’s highest order of merit, ahead of Andy Burnham’s assumption of the role at Downing Street on July 20.

The Élysée Palace stated that President Macron conferred the decoration on Starmer during his stay in Paris to attend the “Coalition of the Willing” summit supporting Ukraine and to take part in the traditional military parade marking France’s National Day on July 14.

Macron and Starmer had maintained close coordination on international issues, including Ukraine and the more recent crisis in the Middle East. The two countries also launched a joint initiative to help facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.