Omid Scobie refuses to apologise over Endgame ‘error’ as Dutch translator breaks silence - latest

The Dutch translator who worked on Omid Scobie‘s Endgame book has insisted the names of two royals accused of racism were in the manuscript she was sent - but the author says he will not apologise.

The Dutch version of Endgame was pulled from the shelves, the publisher dismissing the edition containing the names as a “translation error”.

Saskia Peeters told MailOnline she did not add the names to the Dutch version of the book, after a translated version identified the two royals accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son before he was born.

Mr Scobie told Newsnight it was not for him to apologise because he still wanted to know what had happened.

“The buck doesn’t stop with me because there are irresponsible people in this country who’ve broken the law and repeated names that should never have been repeated, should never have been named,” he said.

“The book I edited and signed off on did not have names in it.”

TV host Piers Morgan defended his decision to identify the two members of the royal family at the centre of the furore, saying it was “blindingly obvious” they were not guilty of racism.

Key Points

• It’s not for me to apologise, says Omid Scobie

• Piers Morgan identifies alleged royal racists named in Omid Scobie’s book Endgame

• Second member of Royal Family ‘is named as racist’ in Omid Scobie’s book

• 10 explosive claims from Omid Scobie’s scathing new royal book Endgame

• Omid Scobie book Endgame pulped by Dutch publishers

What did the Dutch translation say?

11:15 , Athena Stavrou

Royal author Omid Scobie’s book Endgame hit the shelves in the Netherlands accused King Charles and the Princess of Wales of being at the centre of a racism row.

The book was pulped by publishers and Mr Scobie has denied including the names - but what does the passage in question actually say?

According to a translation, page 128 of the manuscript read: “After discussing possible unconscious biases within the family, after it was revealed that the King and Princess of Wales had taken part in such conversations about Archie, Kate has avoided discussing the subject with her sister-in-law.”

Watch: Omid Scobie refuses to apologise to the two senior 'racist royals' named in Dutch book

11:00 , Athena Stavrou

Royal author Omid Scobie has refused to apologise for the Dutch version of his book naming two royals in the centre of a racism row.

King Charles and the Princess of Wales were accused of making comments about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son Archie before he was born.

Mr Scobie denies ever naming the pair in any version of the book he produced. He told Newsnight it was not for him to apologise because he still wanted to know what had happened.

Why have Harry and Meghan been silent?

10:43 , Athena Stavrou

As the royal ‘exposer-in-chief’ Omid Scobie is lambasted for betraying so many private conversations with his gossipy book Endgame, Harry’s biographer Angela Levin asks why has there been no word from the Sussexes?

Mr Scobie says Harry and Meghan had nothing to do with the book, but Angela Levin says the true test to determine whether they were involved will be if they sue the royal author.

Read the full article below:

Harry and Meghan’s silence about Scobie’s book speaks volumes

Watch: When were the claims first made?

10:19 , Athena Stavrou

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first made the claim a royal had asked about their son’s skin colour when they were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Ms Markle told the US host: “In those months when I was pregnant... we have in tandem the conversation of ‘He won’t be given security. He’s not going to be given a title,’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.”

Meghan and Harry have refused to name the royal involved, but said it was not the late Queen Elizbabeth II or her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

After Meghan and Harry’s interview with Winfrey was made public, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Noting that “recollections may vary” with regards to the racism allegations put forward by Meghan, they said: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.”

King Charles and PM avoid addressing royal race row at Cop28

09:24 , Athena Stavrou

King Charles and Rishi Sunak have both avoided addressing the matter of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame while speaking at the Cop28 climate summit.

King Charles was seen for the first time this morning since the book named him and the Princess of Wales as the royals who allegedly made racist comments about Archie’s skin colour before he was born.

Charles said at the opening of the World Climate Action Summit on Friday that despite some progress, “transformational action” was needed as the dangers of climate change are “no longer distant risks”.

He made no mention of the ongoing controversy in his speech.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak also steered clear of commenting on a royal race row as he heaped praise on the King for his involvement in international climate talks.

Asked about the controversy, Mr Sunak told reporters: “By longstanding and appropriate convention it wouldn’t be right for me to talk about the royal family in any way shape or form.”

Watch: Piers Morgan names alleged royal racists named in Omid Scobie’s book Endgame

08:44 , Athena Stavrou

King Charles adresses COP 28 amid book racism row

08:42 , Athena Stavrou

King Charles is addressing the COP 28 climate conference in Dubai - his first public appearance since Omid Scobie’s book Endgame was released.

The King was named in the Dutch translation of the book as one of the royals accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son before he was born.

He has steered clear of the topic in his speech so far and said the dangers of climate change “are no longer distant risks”.

Still no response from the palace

08:17 , Athena Stavrou

The Royal Family has still not broken their silence on the publication of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame.

King Charles and the Princess of Wales were named on Wednesday as the royals accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son before he was born.

The princess was joined by Prince Williamon on the red carpet at the Royal Variety Performance last night. The couple put on a united front as they held hands outside the event, which is their first public appearance since the book hit the shelves.

Mr Scobie has refused to apologise for the “translation error” in the Dutch version of his book.

Kate and William in united front at Royal Variety show amid racism storm

07:43 , Athena Stavrou

The Princess of Wales dazzled at the Royal Variety Performance last night as she and Prince William brushed off the fallout from the royal race row after the publication of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame.

She was joined on the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall by Prince William, putting on a united front as they held hands outside the event.

It is their first public appearance since royal reporter Scobie’s book Endgame hit shelves on Tuesday.

Singer Paloma Faith said William and Kate seemed calm when they spoke with her after she sang at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday night, and quipped they were not bothered by her going barefoot.

Who is Omid Scobie?

07:00 , Jane Dalton

Maryam Zakir-Hussain looks at the man behind the book:

Who is Omid Scobie? Endgame author at centre of royal race row claims

‘The real royal villain is William’

04:50 , Jane Dalton

Anna Pasternak’s review of Endgame:

Omid Scobie Endgame review: ‘The real royal villain is William’

Opinion: Count on Scobie to be an unreliable narrator

04:00 , Jane Dalton

Royal biographer Hugo Vickers says the writer has built his reputation on getting things wrong:

You can count on Omid Scobie to be an unreliable narrator

Lawyer challenges Harry and Meghan to seek injunction

03:00 , Jane Dalton

Endgame claims the names of the two royals were discussed in letters exchanged between the Duchess of Sussex and the King.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens called on the Sussexes to take legal action to prevent their distribution.

Mr Stephens said: “If Harry and Meghan are really interested in privacy, as they profess, it is pretty surprising that they haven’t sought an injunction to prevent this information being revealed further either by Omid Scobie or anyone else.”

Translator says names were there in English

02:00 , Jane Dalton

The translator of the book’s Dutch version says the edition was a straight translation from English, and no names were added.

“The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them,” they told MailOnline.

“I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English into Dutch.”

Scobie denies being in Sussexes’ 'private world’

01:00 , Jane Dalton

Author Omid Scobie has denied being close to Harry and Meghan but there is still speculation about whether the Sussexes helped him with Endgame.

The book asserts that the future of the monarchy is “in a crisis” and it is in a “fight for survival”.

Craig Doyle, co-host of the ITV1 show This Morning, said to Mr Scobie: “A lot of it feels like a bit of a hatchet job against the royal family.”

He asked what the writer’s relationship with Meghan and Harry was like, and Mr Scobie replied: “I’m not their friend, I’ve never sat down with Meghan privately for interviews, I’ve never exchanged information with Meghan, I’m not in their private world in any way whatsoever.”

It’s not for me to apologise, says Scobie

Thursday 30 November 2023 23:13 , Jane Dalton

“It’s not for me to apologise because I still want to know what’s happened,” Mr Scobie told Newsnight.

“The buck doesn’t stop with me because there are irresponsible people in this country who’ve broken the law and repeated names that should never have been repeated, should never have been named,” he said.

“The book I edited and signed off on did not have names in it.”

Book was ‘legalled and vetted'

Thursday 30 November 2023 23:10 , Jane Dalton

Mr Scobie said his book had been legalled and vetted, and the i-s dotted and t-s crossed.

He found out on social media that the names were in the Dutch edition.

He swore “on his life and his family’s lives” that it wasn’t a publicity stunt.

‘I’m used to death threats'

Thursday 30 November 2023 23:03 , Jane Dalton

Mr Scobie said he had grown used to receiving death threats.

It had been exacerbated by “a lot of the nonsense” surrounding the book, he said.

I’ve never used racism word, says Scobie

Thursday 30 November 2023 23:00 , Jane Dalton

Mr Scobie insisted he had never used the word “racism”.

He said Harry and Meghan were irrelevant to the story of the royal family and there wasn’t even a chapter on them in the book.

‘Not a publicity stunt'

Thursday 30 November 2023 22:57 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie denied the book’s being pulled from shelves in the Netherlands and the row over the names was a publicity stunt.

Scobie says experience ‘frustrating'

Thursday 30 November 2023 22:56 , Jane Dalton

Mr Scobie said the row over the names was “a frustrating experience for me for a book that I was extremely proud of” and that it had been “overshadowed by an event that has caused me a lot of frustration as well”.

“I’m looking forward to finding out more about it because the version I signed off on, that’s the book that is out there today and has no names in it,” he said.

Thursday 30 November 2023 22:54 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie is appearing on Newsnight now. We’ll bring you the latest.

Kate dazzles as she puts on united front with William

Thursday 30 November 2023 22:52 , Jane Dalton

The Princess of Wales dazzled at the Royal Variety Performance tonight as she and Prince William brushed off the fallout from the royal race row after the publication of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame:

Kate dazzles at Royal Variety Show as she puts on united front with William

Diana’s ex-butler backs Morgan

Thursday 30 November 2023 20:50 , Jane Dalton

Former butler to Princess Diana Paul Burrell supported Morgan’s decision to identify the two royals accused of racism.

“The British public have a right to know which members of our royal family are being trashed by the Sussexes,” he told Piers Morgan.

Thursday 30 November 2023 20:46 , Jane Dalton

Piers Morgan agreed to apologise if evidence of racism was produced.

However, he said he was confident no such evidence existed.

Morgan defends identifying ‘royal racists'

Thursday 30 November 2023 20:44 , Jane Dalton

Piers Morgan has defended his decision to identify the alleged “royal racists” live on air on Wednesday night, and repeated their identities again tonight.

He said he had taken legal advice, and it was safe to do so.

“I took a view it was ridiculous that British people couldn’t be aware of this,” he said.

He said it was “blindingly obvious” that the royals were not guilty of racism.

But historian and writer Tessa Dunlop accused Morgan of using the names purely for hits and publicity.

Royal writer Omid Scobie says he ‘wanted to disappear’ at height of trolling

Thursday 30 November 2023 19:55 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie has spoken out about receiving abuse for his coverage of the royal family.

The journalist and commentator is one of the UK’s most prominent voices regarding the royal family, with a particular special interest in the lives and perspectives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Soon, he will release his book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, which takes a deep dive into the institution and its future.

Read more here

Royal writer Omid Scobie says he ‘wanted to disappear’ at height of trolling

William and Kate at Royal Variety Performance

Thursday 30 November 2023 19:27 , Jane Dalton

The Prince and Princess of Wales were attending the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on Thursday.

Omid Scobie responds to Piers Morgan’s scathing Endgame takedown

Thursday 30 November 2023 19:00 , Holly Evans

Omid Scobie has responded to Piers Morgan describing his new book Endgame as a “spiteful, lie-filled book” after the broadcaster sensationally named the allegedly “racist royals” identified in its Dutch version.

Scobie, 42, said he has been “operating within a bubble of no emotion” since the release of Endgame, which became embroiled in controversy after the foreign language translation inadvertently named two senior members of the royal family in connection with a racism row that rocked the monarchy in 2021.

The book was pulled from shelves in Netherlands after it was revealed that Scobie’s book identified two royals who allegedly inquired about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s firstborn baby, Prince Archie.

Read the full article here

Piers Morgan challenges Omid Scobie to appear on show after naming ‘racist royals’

Nine royal revelations from Omid Scobie’s scathing new book Endgame

Thursday 30 November 2023 18:30 , Holly Evans

The royal family is riven with ambition, suspicion and competition with the Prince and Princess of Wales at the heart of it all, according to an explosive new book about The Firm.

In Endgame, royal reporter and author Omid Scobie moves beyond Prince Harry to detail an alleged power struggle between King Charles and Prince William.

He explores the new king’s relationship with his disgraced brother Prince Andrew and examines why Kate is perfect in the mould of Britain’s future queen.

Read the full article here

Nine royal revelations from Omid Scobie’s scathing new book Endgame

How could the Dutch translation ‘mistake’ happen?

Thursday 30 November 2023 18:00 , Holly Evans

In the latest controversy to hit the Royal Family, a translated version of a new book has supposedly included a highly damaging reference linking a member of the monarchy to a race row that has plagued their reputation for over two years.

Copies of royal author Omid Scobie’s Dutch-version of Endgame were dramatically pulled from the shelves in The Netherlands on Tuesday evening, with the publisher ackowledging an “error” had occurred.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry first made the explosive claim that a senior member of the royal family had made comments about the skin colour of their unborn son Archie during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Read the full article here

Omid Scobie’s Endgame: How could the Dutch translation ‘mistake’ happen?

Writer Scobie accused of ‘stunt to sell books’ over naming of race row royals

Thursday 30 November 2023 17:30 , Holly Evans

Author Omid Scobie has been accused of being behind a “stunt to sell books” during a television interview where he claimed never to have named the two race row royals in his expose.

This Morning co-host Craig Doyle quizzed the journalist about his royal family book Endgame, saying it seemed “bizarre” to the public that two members of the monarchy, accused of racism by commentators, had been identified in the Dutch version of his book.

Copies of Mr Scobie’s book were pulled from the shelves in the Netherlands on publication day on Tuesday, when they were found to have named two members of the royal family alleged to have raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Read the full article here

Writer Scobie accused of ‘stunt to sell books’ over naming of race row royals

Omid Scobie to appear on BBC Newsnight this evening

Thursday 30 November 2023 17:00 , Holly Evans

Royal author Omid Scobie is due to appear on BBC Newsnight this evening at 10.30pm with Victoria Derbyshire, its editor has said on social media.

This follows his appearance on ITV’s This Morning, where he defended his controversial book Endgame and stated he had never submitted a version which named the two royals accused of making a remark about the skin colour of the Sussexes’ unborn son.

'I had never submitted a book that had their names in it'

Thursday 30 November 2023 16:33 , Holly Evans

During an interview with ITV’s This Morning, Omid Scobie stressed “I had never submitted a book that had their names in it” when questioned by host Craig Doyle.

Mr Scobie said he wrote the English language version of his book but does not speak the other languages it was translated into, “so the only time you hear about the book is once it’s come out in the public domain. I’m as frustrated as everyone else”.

He claimed: “The reality, though, is that this is information that is not privy just to me, journalists across Fleet Street have known those names for a long time.

“I have never submitted a book that had their names in it, so I can only talk about my version.”

Omid Scobie opens up on ‘upsetting’ revelation about Harry and William’s relationship

Thursday 30 November 2023 16:10 , Holly Evans

Omid Scobie opens up on ‘upsetting’ revelation about Harry and William’s relationship

Dutch copies of Endgame dramatically increase in price on website

Thursday 30 November 2023 15:36 , Holly Evans

Dutch copies of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame are selling for eight times their retail price online after the book was pulled from shelves in the Netherlands because it identifies the two royal “racists”.

Two translated copies of his book have been listed on the website Marktplaats and have received a number of bids, with a top price of €185, while its original retail price is €22.99.

This comes after they were dramatically removed from stores after erroneously including the names of two members of the Royal family in relation to a racism row involving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Piers Morgan doubles down after naming ‘racist royals’ identified in Scobie’s Endgame

Thursday 30 November 2023 15:12 , Holly Evans

Piers Morgan has doubled down on his controversial decision to name the two allegedly “racist royals” after their identities were inadvertently revealed in Omid Scobie’s book Endgame.

Morgan, 58, confirmed which senior members of the “the Firm” were identified in the Dutch translation of Scobie’s controversial new book, with the names being reported in an excerpt about the royal racism scandal involving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2021.

While the British press – including The Independent – has withheld these names, Morgan sensationally revealed them during Wednesday night’s episode of his TalkTV show.

Read the full article here

Piers Morgan doubles down after naming ‘racist royals’ identified in Scobie’s Endgame

You can count on Omid Scobie to be an unreliable narrator

Thursday 30 November 2023 14:50 , Holly Evans

As a longtime scourge of inaccuracies in The Crown, I feel it is my moral duty to issue a warning about misleading royal drivel whenever it comes my way. Which is why I say under no circumstances should you stoop to buy, least of all read, Endgame by Omid Scobie.

For those somehow unscathed by the ongoing publicity onslaught this week – which included an appearance by Scobie on today’s edition of This Morning in which he attempted to defend the book – Endgame is the latest salvo from the author who gave us Finding Freedom, the myth-building 2020 biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Scobie, having made his name unearthing “the unknown details of Harry and Meghan’s life together”, has returned to chart the “devastating” impact that Megxit has had on the royal family as an institution, as well as on key individuals, notably, the King.

Read the full article from Hugo Vickers here

You can count on Omid Scobie to be an unreliable narrator

King Charles continues royal engagements in Dubai

Thursday 30 November 2023 14:20 , Holly Evans

While the controversy around Scobie’s book continues, King Charles has continued with his royal engagements ahead of his visit to Cop28 on Friday.

The King has described new climate technologies as “fantastic” during a visit to open a university science campus in Dubai.

Charles spoke to engineers and students at the new Dubai campus of Heriot-Watt University, which is based in Edinburgh, and was shown a host of technologies designed to combat climate change.

After greeting well-wishers, Charles was joined on the tour of the university’s Cop28 Cleantech exhibition by Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, with the UK Government sponsoring the exhibition.

Greeting the King, Lord Cameron said he “would not have missed it for the world”.

Piers Morgan to host live TalkTV show tonight to address ‘mounting furore'

Thursday 30 November 2023 13:51 , Holly Evans

Piers Morgan has announced his TalkTV show this evening will focus on the controversy around the Omid Scobie’s book Endgame, in which two senior royals were supposedly named in the Dutch translation.

In his show Piers Morgan Uncensored on Wednesday evening, the broadcaster named the two individuals, stating: “If Dutch people wandering into a bookshop can see these names, then you, the British people who actually pay for the royal family are entitled to know, too.”

In another tweet, he called on Scobie to appear on his show to “clear the air”.

Omid Scobie responds to Piers Morgan’s scathing Endgame takedown

Thursday 30 November 2023 13:25 , Holly Evans

Omid Scobie has responded to Piers Morgan describing his new book Endgame as a “spiteful, lie-filled book” after the broadcaster sensationally named the allegedly “racist royals” identified in its Dutch version.

Scobie, 42, said he has been “operating within a bubble of no emotion” since the release of Endgame, which became embroiled in controversy after the foreign language translation inadvertently named two senior members of the royal family in connection with a racism row that rocked the monarchy in 2021.

The book was pulled from shelves in Netherlands after it was revealed that Scobie’s book identified two royals who allegedly inquired about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s firstborn baby, Prince Archie.

Read the full article here

Omid Scobie responds to Piers Morgan’s scathing Endgame takedown

Omid Scobie: ‘Harry wants a truce – he reached out to William – but the wall was completely up’

Thursday 30 November 2023 12:42 , Holly Evans

If there was ever any chance of the royal family being reunited around the Christmas tree at Sandringham this year, it’s been blown out of the water by Omid Scobie, the journalist frequently accused of being the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s “mouthpiece”.

His latest book, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, has reportedly caused fresh havoc in royal ranks with claims Prince William “prioritised his loyalty to the monarchy over his brother”, actively leaking information about Meghan and Harry in order to undermine them.

William’s “friends” have decried the claim as “outrageous”, but Scobie is sticking to his guns, insisting the Prince of Wales is “increasingly comfortable with the Palace’s dirty tricks and the courtiers who dream them up”.

Read The Independent’s full interview with Omid Scobie here

Omid Scobie interview: Prince Harry offered William an olive branch

This Morning host says names of royals in Dutch version is ‘bizarre'

Thursday 30 November 2023 12:17 , Holly Evans

During the interview, Craig Doyle asked his guest how the names appeared in the Dutch version of Endgame: “That just seems bizarre to everybody out there because you don’t accidentally put in a name, and you can’t put it down to mistranslation, can you?

“It does feel like a stunt to sell books – which I understand.”

Mr Scobie said he wrote the English language version of his book but does not speak the other languages it was translated into, “so the only time you hear about the book is once it’s come out in the public domain. I’m as frustrated as everyone else”.

Piers Morgan responds to This Morning interview

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:45 , Holly Evans

In a series of tweets, broadcaster Piers Morgan has hit back at Omid Scobie’s interview on ITV’s This Morning, branding him “a liar”.

He wrote that it was “comical” that the royal author had denied naming the two royals in his book submission, and questioned how the names appeared in the Dutch version of Endgame.

Omid Scobie breaks silence over naming of alleged ‘royal racists’ in Dutch book

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:29 , Holly Evans

Endgame: Omid Scobie says he is not upset over naming of alleged royal ‘racists’

Scobie addresses Piers Morgan criticism

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:24 , Holly Evans

Addressing criticism from broadcaster Piers Morgan, Scobie said that he had said “a lot of things” about him and the Sussexes.

During his TalkTV show on Wednesday evening, Morgan denied that Camilla had thanked him for supporting ‘the Firm’ and said he did not believe the “ugly smear” of the racism claims.

He named the two royals identified in the Dutch version, and told his viewers: “Frankly, if Dutch people wandering into a bookshop can pick it up and see these names, then you, British people, here—who actually pay for the British royal family—you’re entitled to know too.”

Omid Scobie fights back tears as he defends Endgame following backlash

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:06 , Holly Evans

Omid Scobie fights back tears as he defends Endgame following backlash

Omid Scobie’s Endgame: How could the Dutch translation ‘mistake’ happen?

Thursday 30 November 2023 11:01 , Holly Evans

In the latest controversy to hit the Royal Family, a translated version of a new book has supposedly included a highly damaging reference linking a member of the monarchy to a race row that has plagued their reputation for over two years.

Copies of royal author Omid Scobie’s Dutch-version of Endgame were dramatically pulled from the shelves in The Netherlands on Tuesday evening, with the publisher ackowledging an “error” had occurred.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry first made the explosive claim that a senior member of the royal family had made comments about the skin colour of their unborn son Archie during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Read the full article here

Omid Scobie’s Endgame: How could the Dutch translation ‘mistake’ happen?

Omid Scobie reveals death threats and harassment over bombshell book

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:57 , Holly Evans

Commenting on the reaction to Endgame, Scobie said there have been “unnecessary attacks about me, it’s been an assassination on my character, my father has been harassed”.

Co-presenter Alison Hammond interjected: “You’ve had death threats as well.”

Mr Scobie then replied: “Yes, and I don’t want to make light of those, but death threats are almost the least of my worries.

“I had tabloid journalists harassing my father, last week and the week before.”

He added that never expected the book to be presented fairly and knew it would prove “controversial”.

Author denies being Meghan’s ‘mouthpiece’

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:51 , Holly Evans

During his interview, Scobie denied being Meghan Markle’s “mouthpiece” and added that he had never spoken to the former royal in confidence.

He stressed: “I’m not their friend, I’ve never sat down with meghan privately for interviews - I’m not in their private world.”

He did however add that while they were working royals, he was in a “sympathetic” position and witnessed unfair treatment of the Duchess of Sussex.

Scobie denies controversy is a ‘stunt’

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:45 , Holly Evans

Asked by presenter Craig Doyle if it was a stunt, Scobie said: “I wish it was the case.’

He added: “I wrote and edited the English version of the book with one publisher. That then gets licensed to other publishers.”

Omid Scobie said he had never used the “racist” word in relation to the comments over Archie’s skin colour, adding that it was described as “unconscious bias”.

Author acknowledges ‘controversial’ book and denies insulting Princess of Wales

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:27 , Holly Evans

During his sit-down interview with This Morning, Scobie said: “I knew this book would be controversial, it goes into areas where I think often royal correspondents shy away from.”

Speaking of his characterisation of the Princess of Wales, he denied insulting her and said “there’s not a word in the book that reflects that”.

When questioned about his remark that she was similar to a ‘Stepford wife’, he responded: “It said Stepford Wife-like and I think the whole section of the book says she’s never put a step wrong.

“It compares her to the queen in a very favourable way, but if you compare that to everyday folk it is a Stepford Wife-like position.”

Omid Scobie says naming of royals in Dutch version is ‘frustrating'

Thursday 30 November 2023 10:16 , Holly Evans

In an interview with Alison Hammond and Craig Doyle on ITV’s This Morning, Scobie said: “I’m as frustrated as everyone else.”

Speaking of the naming of royals in the Dutch version, he said: “I’ve been very careful in the way it’s described in the book - the reality is though, that this is information that is not just privy to me. Journalists across Fleet Street have known those names for a very long time.”

Omid Scobie to appear on This Morning

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:56 , Holly Evans

Author Omid Scobie, whose latest book Endgame has plunged the royal family into another crisis, is due to appear on ITV’s This Morning from 10am onwards.

This comes after his book was pulled from the shelves in The Netherlands after supposedly naming the royals involved in a conversation regarding the race of the Sussexes’ unborn child.

King Charles ‘was only member of royal family to address Meghan racism row’

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:40 , Holly Evans

King Charles was the only member of the royal family to address Meghan Markle’s damning allegations of racism, an author has claimed.

During an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the Duchess of Sussex alleged there were “concerns and conversations” about how dark her son Prince Archie’s skin might be when he’s born.

Charles and Meghan discussed the issue in private letters that were exchanged in the aftermath of the interview, Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame claims, with the then-Prince of Wales said to have suggested Meghan should also share her feelings with Kate and William.

Read the full article here

King Charles ‘was only member of royal family to address Meghan racism row’

What has Omid Scobie said about the controversy?

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:31 , Holly Evans

The royal author, who previously published the book Finding Freedom focused on the Sussexes, denied naming the two senior royals in his English version of his latest book.

Speaking to Dutch TV, the writer said: “The book is available in a number of languages and unfortunately I can’t speak Dutch so I haven’t seen the copy for myself, but if there have been any translation errors I am sure the publisher has got it under control.

“For me, I edited and wrote the English version; there has never been a version that I’ve produced that has names in it.”

Quotes and facts from new royal book Endgame

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:22 , Holly Evans

Omid Scobie’s controversial new book focusing on the royal family and the fallout with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has already hit headlines within two days of its release.

Allegations include the king being “irritated” by Boris Johnson over the late Queen’s speech, a member of the royal family being a “germaphobe” and tensions between the king and Prince William.

Here are five prominent claims and quotes from Omid Scobie’s book about the royal family called Endgame:

Quotes and facts from new royal book Endgame

King Charles responds ‘I’m all right very much, just about’ in first appearance

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:17 , Holly Evans

The King said he has been “recovering” from having a “rather ancient birthday” as he began a series of engagements during a two-day trip to Dubai ahead of Cop28.

Charles met the president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday morning in the first of a number of bilateral discussions with world leaders.

The two men shook hands at a Dubai hotel and President Tinubu asked the King: “How are you?”

Charles, wearing a tanned suit, replied: “I’m all right very much… just about. Having had a rather ancient birthday recently, recovering from the shock of that.”

Charles celebrated his 75th birthday on November 14.

Prince Harry previously denied comment was ‘racist’

Thursday 30 November 2023 09:12 , Holly Evans

Meghan’s claim in 2021 led to a difficult period for the royal family, with the Prince of Wales having to defend the monarchy against accusations of racism, saying: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

Harry denied the comment about his son was racist during an interview to promote his memoir Spare earlier this year.

When asked by his friend and broadcaster Tom Bradby “wouldn’t you describe that as essentially racist?” the duke replied “no I wouldn’t”.

The two names came to light in letters exchanged between Meghan and Charles in the aftermath of the Sussexes’ Winfrey interview, according to Endgame.

In his book, Mr Scobie says of Charles’s correspondence with his daughter-in-law: “The King, said sources, wanted his response to make clear to Meghan that he felt there was no ill will or casual prejudice present when the two people had spoken about his future grandson.”

Meghan Markle’s wedding dress designer details their ‘very personal’ relationship

Thursday 30 November 2023 08:17 , Holly Evans

Meghan Markle’s wedding dress was special, no doubt, but her relationship with its designer is more significant.

According to Clare Waight Keller, the creative behind the Duchess of Sussex’s elegant gown, an intimate collaboration between her and Meghan blossomed into a beautiful relationship.

Keller, 53, spoke at the 2023 Bazaar At Work Summit on 22 November, detailing her experience designing the 42-year-old’s look for her royal wedding.

Read the full article here

Meghan Markle’s wedding dress designer details their ‘very personal’ relationship

ICYMI: Camilla thanked Piers Morgan for ‘defending the Firm’

Thursday 30 November 2023 19:40 , Jane Dalton

A recap: Queen Camilla thanked Piers Morgan for “defending the Firm” after the Duchess of Sussex exposed royal family divisions, according to Endgame:

Queen Camilla thanked Piers Morgan for ‘defending the Firm’, claims royal book