first-char-format.patch

diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/apply-format.native.js b/packages/rich-text/src/apply-format.native.js
index 9c5a4749a..2d2fa9829 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/src/apply-format.native.js
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/apply-format.native.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function applyFormat(
        // The selection is collpased, insert a placeholder with the format so new input appears
        // with the format applied.
        if ( startIndex === endIndex ) {
-               const previousFormats = currentFormats[ startIndex - 1 ] || [];
+               const previousFormats = currentFormats[ startIndex > 0 ? startIndex - 1 : 0 ] || [];
                const placeholderFormats = formatPlaceholder && formatPlaceholder.index === start && formatPlaceholder.formats;
                // Follow the same logic as in getActiveFormat: placeholderFormats has priority over previousFormats
                const activeFormats = ( placeholderFormats ? placeholderFormats : previousFormats ) || [];
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/get-active-format.native.js b/packages/rich-text/src/get-active-format.native.js
index 7ff34aa7f..66c9f061d 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/src/get-active-format.native.js
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/get-active-format.native.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function getActiveFormat( { formats, formatPlaceholder, start, end }, for
        }

        // otherwise get the previous character format
-       const previousLetterFormat = find( formats[ start - 1 ], { type: formatType } );
+       const previousLetterFormat = find( formats[ start > 0 ? start - 1 : 0 ], { type: formatType } );

        if ( previousLetterFormat ) {
                return previousLetterFormat;
diff --git a/packages/rich-text/src/remove-format.native.js b/packages/rich-text/src/remove-format.native.js
index b6213f813..b155796da 100644
--- a/packages/rich-text/src/remove-format.native.js
+++ b/packages/rich-text/src/remove-format.native.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export function removeFormat(
                                formats: cloneDeep( placeholderFormats.filter( ( { type } ) => type !== formatType ) ),
                        };
                } else if ( ! formatPlaceholder ) {
-                       const previousFormat = ( start > 0 ? formats[ start - 1 ] : formats[ 0 ] ) || [];
+                       const previousFormat = formats[ start > 0 ? start - 1 : 0 ] || [];
                        newFormatPlaceholder = {
                                index: start,
                                formats: cloneDeep( previousFormat.filter( ( { type } ) => type !== formatType ) ),