Keir Starmer received the Légion d’honneur from French President Emmanuel Macron on July 13, 2026, during Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, becoming the first UK prime minister to earn the accolade from a French president [1, 2]. Macron praised Starmer for his personal leadership, commitment to European security, and support for Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. "Prime minister, dear Keir, I wanted to reiterate my gratitude and the gratitude of the French people," Macron said. "Beyond that, for your personal leadership and your commitments for obviously your country, but the security of our Europe, Ukraine, the bilateral relationship, your decency" [2].
Starmer played a key role in establishing the Coalition of the Willing, a group of nations chaired jointly by France and the UK that pledged support for Ukraine [1, 2]. He attended his final summit of the Coalition on July 13, the same day he was awarded the French honour [1, 2]. The Légion d’honneur is France’s highest national honour, with Winston Churchill previously awarded the higher Grand-Croix grade in 1958 for wartime leadership [1, 2].
On July 14, Starmer joined Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, where British troops participated in the parade for the first time in over 20 years [2]. The honour capped a turbulent final month for Starmer, who was due to step down as UK prime minister on July 20, 2026, after losing support within the Labour Party [2].
Starmer’s reception of the Légion d’honneur and participation in joint Franco-British events underscored his role in European and transatlantic security efforts during his premiership. His departure from office is set for July 20, marking the end of his tenure.
