What value in France's top award - the Légion d'honneur?

Ingrid Betancourt might have been the most high profile recipient of the Légion d'honneur on July 14, but another less well-known woman has also hit the headlines after she figured in the list of the "Class of."

For among the names was that of the judge who granted the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, his divorce last year. And for many that "honour" has once again brought into question whether the award any longer has a true value.

Nicole Chaubrac is a name that probably doesn't ring a bell with many people here in France, let alone abroad. But she was the judge who discreetly and quickly granted Sarkozy and his former wife, Cécilia, that divorce last October.

"I believe he appreciated that I didn't speak (to the media)," Chaubrac is quoted as saying in today's newspapers.

"And God knows how many journalists wanted to interview me," she added modestly.

But there's more that'll raise just as many proverbial eyebrows as Chaubrac's elevation and leave the French wondering what has happened to the prestigious order that many a cynical commentator says "half the country wants and the other half already owns."

On Monday, Jacques Séguela was bumped up from "Knight" to "Officer (there are a total of five different levels of the order).

"Jacques who?" you might well ask. Well, he's the publicist to whom the world at large, and France most specifically, owes a great debt of gratitude for bringing us all the fairy tale romance of the last 12 months.

For barely a month after Chaubrac had officially pronounced the marriage of Nicolas and Cécilia "over" Séguela played host to an intimate soirée at which the president met his future first lady! So a gong for Séguela?

Monday's list of course included the usual hundreds of those good old French citizens who have rendered civil and military service in one form or another to the country.

But it also contained a host of French celebs from world of sport, entertainment, business and politics. Yep since Sarkozy came to office even politicians seem to have celebrity status in France with the best known often gracing the pages of the country's weekly glossies.

Among the famous names awarded the Légion d'honneur on Monday were the fashion designer Sonia Rykiel and the actor Jean Reno (best known abroad perhaps for his roles in Le Grand Bleu, Nikita and the Da Vinci Code among many others). Another French actor was also honoured in the shape of Dany Boon, whose comedy film "Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis" became France's biggest grossing domestic box office hit this year with over 20 million viewers.

And so the list continues.

But why, many are asking, when there's already the perhaps more appropriate Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Literature) first awarded in 1957 to recognise significant contributions to the arts (in all its multitude of definitions) to both French and foreign nationals?

And there would certainly appear to be room for the purists to remain somewhat sniffy.

The Légion d'honneur was created in 1802 by Napoleon as an order of merit to recognise "outstanding services rendered to France or a feat befitting humanity."

And in the past it was limited to intellectual greats, artists, the military and in general those who had made what was considered an “important” historical contribution.

But it's the apparent trend to broaden the scope that has many questioning whether it any longer has a true value. Even bestowing the award on Betancourt's has not met with universal applause.

So what are the French supposed to make of the decision to honour Chaubrac and Séguela with the order?

And who knows, if the current apparent trend continues, perhaps the next time the list is drawn up the names of a certain happy couple who have just had twins on the French Riveria could make an appearance.