King Charles and Princess of Wales Kate Middleton have been outed as the alleged “royal racists” who made offensive comments about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie.
Their names were accidentally printed in the Dutch version of royal author Omid Scobie’s highly anticipated biography, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, according to Good Morning America.
The book, which is tipped to become a best seller, was swiftly yanked from shelves in the Netherlands on Tuesday after readers noticed the blunder.
Scobie, appearing on Dutch chat show RTL Boulevard, attributed the error to a translation mistake, emphasising that the English version, which he wrote and edited, does not contain specific names.
Credit: Lorna Roberts / Shutterstock.com.
“The book is in several languages, and unfortunately, I do not speak Dutch. But if there are translation errors, I’m sure the publishers will have it under control. I wrote and edited the English version. There’s never been no version that I’ve produced that has names in it,” Scobie clarified.
Xander, the publishers of the Dutch version, acknowledged the mistake in a statement, announcing a temporary hold on sales to rectify the error. The statement reads, “[We are] temporarily withdrawing the book by Omid Scobie from sale. An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified.”
The controversy stems from claims made by Markle during a 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview, where she alleged “concerns and conversations” about Archie’s skin color among members of the Royal family.
Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the recent claims in Scobie’s book.
Following Meghan and Harry’s bombshell interview with Winfrey, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” a statement read adding “recollections may vary”.
In the English version of Scobie’s book, he does not name the individuals due to libel laws but asserts that the remarks were echoed by another person within the royal household.
The book details the aftermath of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to quit the royal family and the future of Britain’s monarchy after the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year.
The couple now live with Archie, 4, and their daughter Lilibet, 1, in California’s affluent Montecito neighborhood. They are believed to have an estranged relationship with King Charles and the royal family.
In Endgame, Scobie alleges William, currently the heir to the throne, once provided information to the media about Harry. This is cited as a factor contributing to the “irreparable damage” in the relationship between William and Harry—the sole children of King Charles III and the late Princess Diana.
Although Scobie asserts a strained connection between Harry and Charles, he notes that the two recently engaged in a conversation on Charles’ 75th birthday. This reported interaction is highlighted as their first discussion since Harry’s visit to the U.K. for Charles’ coronation in May.
The incident adds another layer of intrigue to the ongoing discussions about racism within the royal family.
