Zuma Press

Kyle Minogue has blasted right past Jerry Lewis into Diana Ross and Meryl Streep territory.

On the eve of a world tour to promote her latest album, X, the Australian pop star was made a Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters by France's Minister of Culture in honor of her contributions to the country's arts scene.

"The heart, in French, also [means] courage, and I want to salute the courage you have shown in publicly revealing, three years ago, that you had been stricken with breast cancer," Culture Minister Christine Albanel said at a ceremony Monday, where she also referred to Minogue as a "princess of pop" and "the uncontested queen of the dance floor."

"This is an exceptional moment for me," Minogue, who's also an officer in the Order of the British Empire, said in French, before describing her feelings for Paris in English:

"I fell in love, and it's a love affair that continues to blossom like an eternal spring."

Fellow past recipients of this honor include Streep, Ross, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Redford, Uma Thurman, Sharon Stone, Bob Dylan, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis.