Sir Keir Starmer has been granted France's highest distinction, the Legion d'honneur, making him the first current UK prime minister to receive it.
He was presented with the award at the conclusion of a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing - the alliance of nations that Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron assisted in establishing to support Ukraine following Russia's large-scale invasion in 2022.
In his tribute, Macron lauded Sir Keir's "decency" and conveyed his appreciation for the "commitments for clearly your nation, but the security of Europe, Ukraine, the bilateral relationship".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was one of those honoring the departing prime minister, set to vacate his position next week.
While presenting the award to Sir Keir, Macron expressed: "I wished to emphasize my appreciation and that of the French populace for your tenure as prime minister."
"I must express that all the human traits we come to value are still crucial to each of us." We discovered in you an extremely dependable and amiable ally.
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Alongside Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed gratitude to Sir Keir at the gathering in the French presidential palace.
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Chaque année, environ 2 000 Français et 200 ressortissants étrangers reçoivent l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur en reconnaissance de "mérites exceptionnels".
Sir Winston Churchill is one of those celebrated - having attained the top rank of the order called Grand Croix (Grand Cross), awarded to those who have consistently demonstrated "outstanding merit" over an extended period.
The award has been contentious since its creation by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.
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In addition to figures such as Nelson Mandela and former US President Dwight Eisenhower, as well as Zelensky himself, this honour has also been bestowed upon Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, along with Benito Mussolini from wartime Italy and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco earlier
To date, only one international leader has lost the honor, ex-Panamanian President Manuel Noriega.