The French Government have made Kylie Minogue a Knight Of The Order Of Arts And Letters for her contribution to French culture. The Australian singer joined other musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Dylan, in being given the award. She got hers the day before beginning a world tour to promote her latest album 'X'.
French Culture Minister Christine Albanel said Minogue was "the princess of pop, the uncontested queen of the dance floor" and praised the singer's personal courage in her battle with breast cancer. She said: "The heart, in French, also (refers to) courage, and I want to salute the courage you have shown in publicly revealing, three years ago, that you had been stricken with breast cancer".
Minogue said (in French): "This is an exceptional moment for me". Switching to English, she continued: "I fell in love [with Paris], and it's a love affair that continues to blossom like an eternal spring".
This is Kylie's second honour in recent months, having been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire earlier this year.