"That is the language English, a gloriously messy language!"
True true!! However, I am not British and we are not ruled by a king (perhaps a little boy wearing a big man's suit,who THINKS he's king), but I digress. =)
The word “pray” in the sense of “make a request” is also used in court documents here in Virginia. FWIW
I lived in England for many years and it’s true that we are separated by our language. I’m now shuttling between India and the Philippines and yes, the same language English is different here — same language, different connotations in 4 different countries.