Legion of Honor recipients: portraits

Legion of Honor recipients represent a community of men and women, a reflection of French society and a model for future generations.

Since the inception of the order, nearly one million citizens have received the Legion of Honor. There are now around 79,000 members.

Legion of Honor recipients in numbers

  • The order has three ranks —Knight, Officer and Commander— and two titles —Grand Officer and Grand Cross
  • Around 2 000 individuals are awarded the insignia every year
  • There are four cohorts every year : two civilian and two military
  • The average age at induction is 58 for a civilian
  • Two-thirds of members receive the award in a civilian capacity, one third in a military capacity
  • 50% are women (in civilian capacities)
  • 82% are Knights of the Order

Each new cohort tells the richness and diversity of meritorious life paths and depicts the multifaceted contours of French society.

 

Résistante et survivante d’Auschwitz, Yvette Farnoux rejoint la Résistance en 1941, âgée de 22 ans, sous les ordres de la grande résistante Berty Albrecht, en volant du...

Diplômée de l’IEP de Lyon et de l’INALCO, arabophone, Sophie Aubert, aujourd’hui ambassadrice de France au Bangladesh, effectue un parcours exemplaire de diplomate....

Maire de La Cresse depuis 1995, conseillère générale du canton de Peyreleau et vice-présidente de la communauté de communes de Millau déléguée au tourisme depuis 2001,...