JK Rowling receives highest French civilian honour

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has been made a honorary Knight in the French Legion Of Honour, France's highest civilian award.

The 50-year-old best selling writer, whose great- grandfather was French, was given the honorary title by President Nicolas Sarkozy at a ceremony in Paris, reported Digital Spy.

The title was created by Napoleon Bonaparte in the early 19th century and constitutes the country's elite national merit society.

Foreigners cannot be officially inducted, but are routinely made honorary recipients. Other foreign celebrity knights include Jerry Lewis, Steven Spielberg and Barbara Streisand.