French honour for Kylie Minogue

The 39-year-old Australian singer has been honoured with Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters.

France today honoured pop diva Kylie Minogue, making her Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution to French culture. The 39-year-old Australian received the prestigious title the day before kicking off a world tour for her album "X."

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Past recipients include Ella Fitzgerald and Bob Dylan. Culture Minister Christine Albanel called the singer the "princess of pop, the uncontested queen of the dance floor" and noted that much of the star's entourage includes French artists such as clothes designer Jean Paul Gaultier, who dressed Minogue for her forth coming tour.

However, the minister also praised Minogue for her personal courage in her battle against breast cancer. "This is an exceptional moment for me," Minogue said in French. Minogue, who began her career in the 1980s and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, is best known for her electro dance moves and such singles as "Can't Get Yu Out of My Head."

The singer has made a career comeback since beating breast cancer diagnosed in 2005, coming out with hit singles and selling more than half a million tickets for her latest tour.

"The heart, in French, also (refers to) courage, and I want to salute the courage you have shown in publicly revealing, three yeas ago that you had been stricken with breast cancer," the minister said. The French award is Minogue's second in recent months. Queen Elizabeth II named her Officer of the Order of the British Empire at the start of the year.