Grant Shapps, a former Conservative member of the U.K.’s Parliament and defense secretary, called a recent submarine name change by the Royal Navy “woke nonsense” to avoid offending the French.

The Royal Navy has announced it is changing the name of a new submarine from HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, in a move branded "woke nonsense" by former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

The decision to rename the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Agincourt is “woke nonsense”, a former defence secretary has claimed. The Astute-class attack submarine, which is still under construction, was due to be named in honour of Henry V’s 1415 victory over the French.

Defence Secretary John Healey is seeking the King's approval to rename HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, in a move that has sparked controversy over concerns about offending the French. The decision to rebrand the under-construction hunter-killer submarine represents a significant U-turn in naval policy.