Légion d'Honneur

I had a rare glimpse of the French establishment today when I attended the ceremony in which Monique Jeanblanc became a Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur.

Being a member of the Order is the highest decoration in France, fully deserved by Monique. The nice touch is that, although new members are appointed directly by the President of the Republic, the formal induction can be performed by a current member with some personal connections with the inductee, in this case Nicole El Karoui, herself a Chevalier and a lifelong friend and colleague of Monique's.