Paul McCartney is to be given a Legion Of Honour medal in France on Saturday (September 8).

The medal will be given to the former Beatles man by French President Francois Hollande and is the highest public distinction that the President can bestow upon a member of the public.

According to Reuters, McCartney will join the likes of Clint Eastwood and Liza Minnelli in being awarded the medal, which was first created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte.

The honour carries social status but no money, and, McCartney will even have to buy his own medal from a licensed jeweler, with prices ranging from 169 euros to 700 euros (£134 to £553) for the highest rank.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that McCartney has reportedly recruited Mark Ronson to produce his new album.

The pair, who apparently met when Ronson was DJ at McCartney’s 2011 wedding to Nancy Shevell, are said to have spent this week working together in New York. A source told the Sunday Mirror: “This week they went to the studio and started knocking about together to see what they can do together. Everybody’s really excited about the prospect of Mark working with Paul.”

In February, McCartney released his 15th solo LP, an album of traditional pop and jazz covers called Kisses On The Bottom. However, the Beatles legend reportedly wants to return to a more contemporary sound for his next project. The source added: “Paul respects Mark’s knowledge and is wanting to produce a classic album with a young hip edge. And obviously Mark is over the moon to be working with a Beatle.”