Legion of Honour, July 14th: Natalie Portman, Knight; Christine Lagarde, Grand Officer; and Pierre Arditi, Commander

The civilian promotion to the Legion of Honour on July 14, 2026, includes 619 individuals from the fields of culture, science, sport, media, politics, health, business, and the non-profit sector. Natalie Portman, Christine Lagarde, Richard Malka, Pierre Arditi, Marius Trésor, and Frank Leboeuf are among the most well-known names published this Tuesday. Official Journal.

619 people recognized throughout France

The class includes 518 new knights, 79 promoted to officer, 16 commanders, four grand officers, and two grand crosses. These women and men were selected for their professional, public, or community commitment to the values ​​of "Merit, civic-mindedness, and courage" highlighted by the Grand Chancellery of the Legion of Honour.

The Legion of Honour, created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, is the highest French national distinction. Appointment as a Knight marks entry into the order. The subsequent ranks are Officer and Commander, before the dignities of Grand Officer and Grand Cross.

Serge Haroche and Michelle Perrot elevated to the dignity of Grand Cross

Physicist Serge Haroche, Nobel laureate and professor emeritus at the Collège de France, has been awarded the Grand Cross of the French Academy of Sciences. A member of the Academy of Sciences, he had been a Grand Officer since December 2017.

The same honor was bestowed upon historian Michelle Perrot, professor emerita specializing in contemporary history. Her research has made a significant contribution to the development in France of the history of women, work, and gender relations. She was elevated to the rank of Grand Officer in October 2022.

Christine Lagarde becomes a grand officer

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank and former French Minister of the Economy, has been elevated to the rank of Grand Officer. She received the rank of Officer in 2014. A separate decision is dedicated to her in the texts published in the Official Journal.

Publisher Marie-Claude Char, choreographer and former director of dance at the Paris Opera Brigitte Lefèvre, and Professor Gérard Saillant, president of an institute dedicated to brain and spinal cord research, also attain the dignity of Grand Officer.

Natalie Portman knighted

Natalie Portman has been knighted. The decree identifies her as an actress and producer and places her among those honored with the distinction reserved for foreign nationals residing in France. The actress, born Natalie Hershlag, has a total of 33 years of professional experience.

Belgian political scientist François Gemenne, a specialist in climate and migration issues, was also named a knight among the foreign dignitaries. Swiss archaeologist and art historian Sandrine Huber, Italian historian Luigi Mascilli Migliorini, and Greek leader Ersi Volonaki complete this part of the honoree list.

Pierre Arditi elevated to the rank of commander

Pierre Arditi has been promoted to Commander. The actor had been an Officer of the Legion of Honour since January 2017. He joins other Commanders including lawyer Jean-Yves Le Borgne, former journalist and association leader Albina du Boisrouvray, economist Joëlle Toledano and Patrick de Carolis, former president of France Télévisions who became mayor of Arles.

Clémentine Célarié, Rachida Brakni and Wajdi Mouawad decorated

The world of culture occupies an important place in this promotion. Actresses Clémentine Célarié and Rachida Brakni are named knights, as are playwright and director Wajdi Mouawad, visual artist Eva Jospin, perfumer Francis Kurkdjian and director Rebecca Zlotowski.

Designer Paloma Picasso, opera singer Stéphanie d'Oustrac, screenwriter Éric Benzekri, publishing house director Manuel Carcassonne, and Christophe Leribault, president-director of the Louvre Museum, were also made knights. Director Xavier Giannoli, writer Philippe Besson, author Nathacha Appanah, and prima ballerina Dorothée Gilbert were also among those honored.

Richard Malka and several journalists were knighted.

Lawyer and author Richard Malka was knighted after 34 years of service. Several journalists received the same rank, including Pierre Haski, geopolitical commentator at Radio France, and Sylvie Kauffmann, editorialist at [publication name missing]. MondeIsabelle Lasserre, senior reporter at Figaroand Siavosh Ghazi, an Iran specialist and war correspondent.

Journalist and filmmaker Laurent Richard, founder of the Forbidden Stories consortium, was also named a knight. Renaud Girard, journalist and geopolitician, and Éric Le Boucher, economic journalist and co-founder of Slate.frThey also appear among the newly decorated.

Marius Trésor and Frank Leboeuf promoted to officers

Two former French international footballers have been promoted to the rank of officer. Marius Trésor, former captain of Les Bleus and a key figure in the French national team during the 1970s and 1980s, had been a knight since 1984. Frank Leboeuf, 1998 World Cup winner and ambassador for the Bleuet de France charity, received the rank of knight in September 1998.

Former professional cyclist Alain Bondue and Jean-Paul Giachino, former coach of the French biathlon team, have been named knights. The honors list also recognizes several individuals committed to the development of women's sport, professional football, and athlete training.

Mohamed Loueslati promoted to officer

Mohamed Loueslati, imam and interregional Muslim prison chaplain, has been promoted to officer. He had been a knight since March 2016. Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris has also been promoted to officer, having been named a knight in 2017.

Gynecologist Ghada Hatem-Gantzer, founder of the Maison des Femmes in Saint-Denis, was also promoted to officer. In the scientific and medical fields, forensic pathologist Philippe Charlier, physicist Thierry Dauxois, economist Emmanuelle Auriol, and several researchers, doctors, and hospital administrators were named knights.

Jean Leonetti, knight; Jacqueline Gourault, officer

Several former ministers and elected officials are being honored. Jean Leonetti, mayor of Antibes and former minister, is being named a knight. Gérard Longuet, Paul Christophe, Olivier Klein, Patrice Vergriete, and former minister Fabrice Loher are also receiving this rank.

Jacqueline Gourault, former minister, former senator and member of the Constitutional Council, is promoted to officer. Patrick de Carolis, for his part, is promoted to the rank of commander.

54 decorations awarded through citizen initiative

The cohort includes 54 people nominated through the citizen initiative, compared to 20 a year earlier. This system allows a group of citizens to directly nominate someone whose commitment often remains little known at the national level.

A special promotion complements these nominations to recognize 17 Harkis and members of their families. It pays tribute to the former Muslim auxiliaries of the French army during the Algerian War, as well as to their relatives who suffered abandonment, reprisals, and the often inhumane reception conditions they endured in France after 1962.