English first, we’re British
It was, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said, a “special moment”, as their firstborn son was christened in the bosom of his loving family.
As he showed his wide-awake face to the world for the first time, it seemed only right that Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor’s first formal photograph — one of two issued by Buckingham Palace after his private christening yesterday — honoured those he will grow up with and the beloved grandmother he will never know. The traditional photograph was arranged around the green chairs used in 1984 for pictures of Prince Harry and his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and included her two sisters.
Archie wore a replica of the fine Honiton lace christening gown commissioned by Queen Victoria for her first child and worn by every senior member of the Royal Family.
Archie, nestled on his mother’s lap
Significant time and resources have been put toward preserving indigenous minority languages across Britain, including Welsh, Gaelic, Scots and Irish. And, of course, a range of other languages are spoken as well — from Polish and Punjabi, to Arabic and French.
So it's understandable how Boris Johnson, a front-runner to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May, ruffled feathers by saying: “There are too often parts of our country . . . where English is not spoken by some people as their first language. And that needs to be changed.”
The priority for immigrants should be “to be and to feel British,” he said, “and to learn English”.
The comments sparked outrage across the UK, where they were seen as echoing populist talking points targeting immigrants and disrespecting centuries-old languages indigenous to the region.