Meh, try learning french in your late 30s from 0 as your 4th (actually 5th) language. Of course the goal is not some basic grocery-shopping level but fluency and all the quirks that come with it.
Plus you forgot all other french-native speakers other than French nationals, which are much more numerous than French themselves.
In any case, I shall blame French (and William the Conqueror) for much of the madness of modern English spelling.