Gov. Janet Mills, left, and French Ambassador Laurent Bili at the Roux Institute in Portland after she was awarded France’s highest honor last week. Photo courtesy of the Governor’s Office

Gov. Janet Mills was awarded the French Legion of Honor, the country’s highest distinction, for her work to promote and highlight French culture and language across the state.

French Ambassador Laurent Bili presented the award to Mills at the Roux Institute in Portland last week, the governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday. They were joined by Martial Ndoubou, ambassador of the Central African Republic, and Noel Nelson Messone, ambassador of Gabon.

“Madame la Gouverneure, your staunch commitment to partnering with France has created this special relationship that resonates throughout your state,” Bili said in a statement. “Your efforts to promote the French language are vital to keeping our shared culture alive, for generations to come.”

French President Emmanuel Macron awarded Mills the legion to acknowledge her support of Maine’s French culture, the office said. More than a third of the state’s population is of French and Canadian descent, and roughly 5% of Mainers speak French – the state’s second most spoken language – the office said.

Mills said the award stands as a symbol of Maine’s “deep relationship” with France.

“French accents, cuisine and culture can be found in every town in Maine from Biddeford to Fort Kent – and that is because French ancestry is so deeply intertwined with Maine,” Mills said in a statement.

Mills is fluent in French and earned a bachelor’s degree in French in 1970.

Past legion recipients include President Dwight Eisenhower, comedian Jerry Lewis, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, and actress and musician Barbra Streisand. The award was first established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.