Virtually all Western European Monarchs spoke French, traditionally and after the formation of France. To clarify: your assertion is that the Frankish Monarchs

Virtually all Western European Monarchs spoke French, traditionally and after the formation of France. To clarify: your assertion is that the Frankish Monarchs, after whom France is named, and specifically the Frankish Carolingians, etc, and the Frankish Normans didn't speak French? I said "indirectly". Meaning, that Frankish power in Western Europe, mythologically rooted in their claimed link to Rome, is the root of both the term lingua Franca as well as the status of the French language as the shared language of Royalty. The French language is the lingua Franca of the Western European Upper class, especially in a historical context. This isn't up for debate.