FEI President HRH Princess Haya will be made Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest distinction and one of the best known in the world.

Princess Haya will receive the insignia from Laurent Fabius, French minister of foreign affairs and international development, at a special ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 6, in Caen, France, main host city of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The National Order of the Legion of Honor, often referred to as the Legion of Honor (La Légion d’honneur), is awarded on behalf of the French head of state in recognition of eminent public services.

Created by Napoleon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802, the Legion of Honor is the first modern order awarded on personal merit alone. Unlike the traditional military or chivalry orders, the Legion was from the onset open to men–and since 1851 to women–from all ranks and professions without distinction of birth, fortune, or social standing