In 1981, the new president could not receive the insignia from the Grand Chancellor of the Legion of Honour. The Grand Chancellor, General Alain de Boissieu, son-in-law of General de Gaulle, had decided to resign a few days earlier rather than participate in the inauguration of François Mitterrand, who had in the past called de Gaulle's leadership a "dictatorship". Mitterrand was instead recognised as Grand Master by the senior Grand Cross, General André Biard.
