Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain silent as ‘royal racists’ named in Omid Scobie’s book - live

Prince Harry and Meghan are yet to break their silence after the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s book Endgameidentified two royals at the centre of a racism row.

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

The Sussexes - who first made the claims in their 2021 interview with Oprah - have been silent so far on the situation.

A source close to the royal family has called on the Sussexes to speak out and defend their relatives as their silence is “deafening”, according to The Telegraph.

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.

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

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

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

Key Points

• Harry and Meghan called to break their ‘deafening’ silence - report

• Palace ‘considering all options’ on Endgame translation

• Piers Morgan identifies alleged royal racists

• King takes centre stage at Cop28 after being named in Endgame translation

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

22:00 , Joe Middleton

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

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade?

21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Omid Scobie’s hit piece against the royal family has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, writes Sean O’Grady – a cause to which the Sussexes claim to be passionately committed:

Prince Philip always used to say that the British monarchy would survive for as long as it made itself useful. In Dubai for the Cop28 climate change summit, his son has demonstrated exactly how that can and should be done.

In his latest attack on him and the royal family, royal biographer Omid Scobie has – inadvertently or not – done neither himself, nor Harry and Meghan, any favours. Unforgivably – albeit probably through an accident of timing and production – Scobie’s book Endgame has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, a cause to which the Sussexes claim to be passionately committed.

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade? | Sean O’Grady

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

20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

No sooner had controversial royal reporter Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame hit stands in Netherlands, its publishers announced the translated version was being recalled and pulped over an explosive publishing error.

The publishing house, Xander Uitgevers announced on Tuesday that it’s “temporarily withdrawing” the book after “an error occurred in the Dutch translation” that is currently being rectified.

Scobie, 42, also cited a “translation error” while denying claims he had named the “royal racist” who allegedly inquired about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s firstborn in his book, which has been criticised as a biased takedown of the British monarchy.

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

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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:

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

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

18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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.

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

Who is Omid Scobie? Author of Endgame which ‘named royal racists’

17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As the world reacts to the unfolding drama, we take a look at the man behind Endgame:

Who is Omid Scobie? Author of Endgame which ‘named royal racists’

Dutch translator of Omid Scobie’s Endgame denies making error: ‘The names were there in black and white’

16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Dutch translator for Omid Scobie’s Endgame has broken her silence to insist the names of the royals who allegedly raised questions about Prince Archie’s skin colour were “there in black and white” in the manuscript she was sent.

The royal author’s second book was pulled from the shelves in the Netherlands after the translated version identified the two royals said to have questioned the skin tone of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s child before he was born.

The publisher dismissed the edition containing the names as a “translation error”. But translator Saskia Peeters, who worked on Scobie‘s latest book, refuted claims she had added the names of the two royals in the Dutch translation of her own accord, despite the English version leaving them out.

Endgame’s Dutch translator breaks silence: ‘The names were there in black and white’

King Charles: We are headed for dangerous, uncharted territory (No, he’s not talking about you, Harry)

15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

King Charles shrugged off a royal racism storm that threatened to overshadow his Cop28 speech, delivering an urgent message to world leaders: “The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.”

Echoing The Independent’s call for action to turn the tide of climate change before it is too late, he told delegates at the Dubai eco-conference that nations must work together to preserve our planet for generations to come.

“I pray Cop28 will be a critical tipping point towards genuine action,” Charles said, ignoring the racism row that continues to rumble on in the wake of royal author Omid Scobie’s palace exposé, Endgame.

King Charles: We are headed for dangerous, uncharted territory

Endgame page 128: Inside the leaked Dutch version of Scobie book which names royal ‘racist’

13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A new book about the royal family has reignited a racism row, after it named two members of the family who allegedly made comments about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Endgame, by royal author Omid Scobie, refers to the row that started two years ago after comments made by Meghan Markle in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

But the Dutch version of the book names the individuals said to have been involved as King Charles and the Princess of Wales.

Endgame page 128: Inside Dutch version of Scobie book which names royal ‘racist’

The Crown’s dialect coach on teaching actors to sound like Princess Diana: ‘Everybody struggles with this posh “ah” sound’

13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

For more than a decade, William Conacher has been teaching stars from Naomi Watts to Elizabeth Debicki how to sound like the Princess of Wales. Ahead of the final batch of ‘The Crown’ episodes, he gives Isobel Lewis a lesson in Diana-isms:

The late Princess Diana had one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, and the voice to match. Over the years, plenty have parodied the doe-eyed, low-voiced royal. But according to dialect coach William Conacher, the man responsible for getting some of the world’s biggest actors to sound like Diana, it’s much more complex than it might seem.

The Crown dialect coach on teaching actors to sound like Princess Diana

From Oprah to Endgame: How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

12:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a royal saga to put even the most dramatic of Crown episodes to shame.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sat across from Oprah Winfrey in a sprawling LA mansion, making the astonishing claim that a senior member of the royal family had made comments about the skin colour of their then unborn child, Archie.

The fallout was enormous, and though the Duke of Sussex later distanced himself from the remarks, the damage to The Firm was undeniable.

Fast forward two years when Omid Scobie’s book, Endgame, which purports to expose the monarchy and the fierce battles fought among the royals, reignited the damaging row thanks to a “translation error” which identified the two senior royals at the heart of the claims: Charles and Catherine.

How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

Boris Johnson says questioning a baby’s skin colour is just ‘human nature’ amid royal racism row

11:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Boris Johnson has called the racism row surrounding the royal family “normal” and “not remotely racist”.

The racism row has reared its head once more in the wake of Omid Scobie’s tell-all book, which hit the stands on Tuesday.

A Dutch translation of the book identified King Charles and the Princess of Wales as the two senior royals who allegedly raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Boris Johnson says questioning a baby’s skin colour is just ‘human nature’

Boris Johnson weighs in on royal racism row

10:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former UK prime Minister Boris Johnson has called the racism row surrounding the royal family “normal” and “not remotely racist”.

The racism row has reared its head once more in the wake of Omid Scobie’s tell-all book, which hit the stands on Tuesday.

While the English version made no mention of who said what, a misprint in the recalled Dutch translation pointed the finger at two senior royals.

The revelation of the accused royals made headlines around the world and saw Dutch versions of the book pulled from shelves.

The former PM wrote in the Daily Mail: “To ask such questions, in anticipation of a happy event, is simple human nature.

“It is one of the greatest joys and -mysteries of life that we have no real idea, in utero, what our children will look like ... that, I expect, was exactly the kind of ruminative debate that the so-called royal racist was having.”

The former prime minister went on to use his op-ed to attack “wokery and cancel culture”, which he believes is at the heart of the latest royal fiasco.

He said: “Frankly, I neither know nor care which royal said something about Archie, but I am certain that he or she was not remotely racist.

“It’s time to stop all this nonsense, and re-draw the distinction between the ugliness of racism and prejudice - against which we have abundant statutes - and ordinary, innocent patterns of human thought and behaviour.”

Voices: Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

09:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

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.

The test to determine whether Harry and Meghan were involved with Omid Scobie’s new book, Endgame, is to see if Prince Harry sues him. Harry dislikes anyone breaching his privacy and is a regular at the high courts.

Similarly, Meghan isn’t known to be slow in calling out intrusion when private correspondence is thrust into the public domain. It is something she has done before, and after the contents of private letters exchanged between King Charles have been exposed, why not now?

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

08:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Omid Scobie refuses to apologise after King Charles and Kate named in Dutch book

Prince Harry and Meghan’ urged to defend King and Princess of Wales'

07:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been urged to back the King and Princess of Wales amid accusations of racism.

Prince Harry and Meghan have so far made no comment after Charles III and Katherine were accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Archie in a Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s Endgame.

“For the couple that talked about ‘death by a thousand no comments’, the silence at this point is deafening,” a source close to Prince Harry and Meghan told The Telegraph, as they urged the couple to defend their relatives.

Harry and Meghan agreed Spotify deal ‘because they needed serious money’

07:00 , Jane Dalton

Recap: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed their lucrative, yet ultimately ill-fated, Spotify deal because they “needed serious money” after quitting the royal family, Omid Scobie claimed:

Omid Scobie: Harry and Meghan agreed Spotify deal because they ‘needed serious money’

Kate Middleton ‘took elocution lessons’, author says

06:30 , Jane Dalton

Reminder: The Princess of Wales has taken elocution lessons and now sounds more posh than her husband, Omid Scobie claimed:

Kate ‘took elocution lessons and now sounds more posh than William’ royal author says

Reminder: How the royal ‘racism' row unfolded

06:00 , Jane Dalton

The Independent recaps the twists and turns of this very modern royal row, starting in 2016:

How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

Rishi Sunak praises the King and avoids racism controversy at Cop28

05:30 , Shweta Sharma

Rishi Sunak refrained from commenting on a royal controversy surrounding allegations of racism while commending the King for his role in international climate talks.

Asked about the controversy as he flew to Dubai for the Cop28 climate talks, 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.”

He praised the climate-conscious King and highlighted the UK’s leadership at the climate summit.“I’m delighted that he’s going to be at Cop tomorrow, he’s giving a call to arms in the opening statement,” Mr Sunak said.

“It speaks volumes about our type of leadership as a country that we’ve got our head of state there, delivering a call to arms in the opening statement which speaks volumes about the respect that he’s got on this issue around the world.

“We’ve got the head of government there in me, and we’ve got our chief diplomat there in the Foreign Secretary. There are very few countries that will be able to say what I’ve just said.

“So that speaks again to our leadership on this issue and particularly His Majesty’s longstanding track record championing this issue and I’m delighted that he’s going to be delivering this very important statement tomorrow.”

Opinion: People can be unthinking, Meghan

05:00 , Jane Dalton

A guest at my son’s christening asked whether he was the milkman’s, writes Angelina Villa-Clarke:

People are unthinking – a guest at my son’s christening asked if he was the milkman’s

Monarchy has suffered ‘long-lasting reputational damage’

04:12 , Shweta Sharma

The monarchy has suffered “long-lasting reputational damage” and it is going to affect the whole family as well as the institutions, a royal commentator has said.

Joe Little of Majesty magazine said that the doubts are enough to cause damage to the royal family and monarchy as a whole due to the racism row.

“The allegations, true or untrue, will clearly put doubt in the minds of people who are aware of the individuals who have been named. That can’t be helpful in any shape or form.

“But mud sticks, once the shadow of doubt is there, it never really goes away, and it’s got to impact not only on the individuals but also the institution as a whole - it’s a long-lasting reputational damage,” he said.

Recap: Scobie criticises King and Prince for ‘failing to contact Harry’ after car chase

04:00 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie singled out King Charles III and the Prince of Wales after it appeared that “not one member” of the royal family contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their “near-catastrophic” car chase through New York City earlier this year:

Omid Scobie criticises Charles and William for ‘not contacting Harry’ after car chase

Harry and Meghan called to break their ‘deafening’ silence - report

03:55 , Shweta Sharma

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been urged to defend King Charles and Princess Camilla, sources close to the family said, amid a racism row.

A source close to the royal family has called on the Sussexes to speak out and defend their relatives as their silence is “deafening”, according to The Telegraph.

“For the couple that talked about ‘death by a thousand no comments’, the silence at this point is deafening,” the source said.

Another individual characterised the choice to refrain from addressing the allegations as “interesting”, particularly considering that the Sussexes had previously lodged multiple complaints about lacking defense against unfavourable media coverage during their time at the palace.

It comes as public figures are pressuring the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to speak out as the pair have remained silent over accusations that the King and the Queen raised concerns about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, before he was born.

King’s five-point plan as he urges trillions of dollars to go to tackle climate crisis

02:55 , Jane Dalton

King Charles has set out an action plan for tackling the climate crisis based on five key suggestions at Cop28, saying up to five trillion dollars will be needed each year:

Charles’s five-point plan as he urges trillions of dollars to tackle climate crisis

King animated talking to Sunak

01:35 , Jane Dalton

The King looked animated when speaking to PM Rishi Sunak at the Dubai climate talks, where he set out an action plan for tackling the climate crisis.

Analysis: Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade?

00:15 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie’s hit piece against the royal family has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, writes Sean O’Grady:

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade? | Sean O’Grady

10 explosive claims from Endgame

Friday 1 December 2023 23:15 , Jane Dalton

These are some of the biggest alleged revelations from Endgame:

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

Meghan source denies leaking names to Scobie

Friday 1 December 2023 22:30 , Jane Dalton

Sources close to the Duchess of Sussex, who allegedly wrote in letters to King Charles the names of the two family members she accused of ‘racist’ comments, have insisted that she ‘never intended them to be publicly identified’ and that they were ‘not leaked to Mr Scobie by anyone in her camp’, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Young William and Kate share a kiss in The Crown part two

Friday 1 December 2023 22:00 , Jane Dalton

A young Prince William and Kate Middleton are seen leaning in for a kiss in the trailer for part two of the sixth series of The Crown.

The second half of the hit royal drama’s final season, which will be released on December 14, explores a number of historical events, including the death of Princess Margaret and the Queen’s golden jubilee.

King to consult advisers on family’s next step

Friday 1 December 2023 21:31 , Jane Dalton

The King is taking the furore over the Omid Scobie book “very seriously” and will consult senior advisers next week on the family’s next step, it’s been reported.

This includes the possibility of legal action, according to MailOnline.

William competing with King for control, Scobie claims

Friday 1 December 2023 20:50 , Jane Dalton

The Prince of Wales is competing with his father for control of the royal family, author Omid Scobie has claimed in his new, book:

William desperately competing with Charles to run royal family, claims Scobie book

Charles dons Greek flag tie in meeting with Sunak

Friday 1 December 2023 19:00 , Katy Clifton

Meanwhile in Dubai, the King has worn a tie with a Greek flag motif for a meeting with prime minister Rishi Sunak - just days after the politician snubbed his Greek counterpart in a row over the Parthenon Sculptures.

Charles chatted to Mr Sunak during the opening day of Cop28, the UN Climate Change summit being staged in Dubai, sporting the neckwear decorated with the blue and white flag.

The prime minister sparked a diplomatic row by controversially cancelling a planned meeting in London on Tuesday with Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The decision came after Mr Mitsotakis used an interview ahead of the talks to push for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Greece has long demanded the return of the historic works, which were removed by Lord Elgin from occupied Athens in the early 19th century when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

The King has close ties to Greece through his father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was born on the Greek island of Corfu, to parents Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, before becoming a naturalised British subject in 1947.

From Oprah to Endgame: How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

Friday 1 December 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

In 2021, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sat across from Oprah Winfrey in a sprawling LA mansion, made the astonishing claim that a senior member of the royal family had made comments about the skin colour of their then unborn child, Archie.

The fallout was enormous, and though the Duke of Sussex later distanced himself from the remarks, the damage to The Firm was undeniable.

The latest episode of the saga came this week - when a Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s new book identified King Charles and the Princess of Wales as the royals who raised the questions.

Read the full timeline of the royal race row here:

How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

What did the Dutch translation say?

Friday 1 December 2023 17:20 , 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.”

Read the full story here:

Endgame page 128: Inside Dutch version of Scobie book which names royal ‘racist’

Watch: The interview where the allegations were first made

Friday 1 December 2023 16:50 , 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.”

Is Omid Scobie friends with the royals?

Friday 1 December 2023 16:10 , Athena Stavrou

After the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s book identified royals who raised questions are Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s son’s skin colour, many have asked if he has connections to the Sussexes.

Over the years, Mr Scobie has been dubbed “Meghan’s mouthpiece” for his favourable reporting of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but Mr Scobie has repeatedly denied being friends with her.

He posted on X that he is “not ‘Meg’s pal’.” and in an interview with Paris Match, he again said: “I am not their friend and never have been.”

In 2020, Mr Scobie wrote that he shared a “goodbye hug” with Meghan as she finished her last engagement as a working royal and he was one of three journalists invited to cover the event before she flew to Canada.

In Endgame, Mr Scobie revealed that Meghan had personally called him after learning that he had received threats on social media.

Monarchy suffered ‘reputational damage’ following Endgame row

Friday 1 December 2023 15:40 , Athena Stavrou

The Royal Family has been hit with “long-lasting reputational damage” after King Charles and the Princess of Wales were named as being at the centre of a race row.

A Dutch translation of royal author Omid Scobie’s new book alleged the pair raised questions about Prince Harry and Meghan’s son’s skin colour before he was born.

Royal commentator Joe Little said the accusations have cast a “shadow of doubt” over the monarchy.

“The allegations, true or untrue, will clearly put doubt in the minds of people who are aware of the individuals who have been named. That can’t be helpful in any shape or form,” he said.

“But mud sticks, once the shadow of doubt is there it never really goes away, and it’s got to impact not only on the individuals but also the institution as a whole – it’s a long-lasting reputational damage”

It is understood all options are being considered by Buckingham Palace following the publication of the two names.

Palace ‘considering all options’ on Endgame translation

Friday 1 December 2023 15:11 , Athena Stavrou

In response to a Dutch translation of royal author Omid Scobie’s book Endgame naming King Charles and the Princess of Wales as royals in the centre of a racism row, the palace is reportedly ‘considering all options’.

Buckingham Palace has yet to respond to the allegations so far and no royals have spoken about the accusations at formal engagements.

King Charles made a speech at the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai today, but made no mention of the scandal.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chose to steer clear of commenting on the row as he flew to the limate talks. Asked about the controversy, he said: “By longstanding and appropriate convention it wouldn’t be right for me to talk about the royal family in any way shape or form.”

Attending the Royal Variety Show last night, Kate and Prince William showed a united front and again did not address the claims.

Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have also not spoke to defend or confirm the accusations.

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

Friday 1 December 2023 14:50 , Athena Stavrou

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.

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.

You can watch the revelation here:

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Friday 1 December 2023 14:24 , Athena Stavrou

Royal author Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame has sparked controversy identifying King Charles and the Princess as Wales as allegedly being at the centre of a royal racism row.

In a Dutch translation of the book, the pair were named as the royals accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son before he was born.

However, the Sussexes - who first made the claims in their 2021 interview with Oprah - have remained silent on the revelation.

Harry’s biographer Angela Levin has asked why there has been no word from the couple, and says the test to determine their involvement will is to see if they sue Mr Scobie.

Read the full Independent Premium piece below:

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Who is Omid Scoobie?

Friday 1 December 2023 14:20 , Athena Stavrou

Omid Scobie is a 42-year-old British journalist based in the US.

He is thought to have been born in Wales and grew up in Oxford, going on to study journalism at London College of Communication at University of the Arts London.

In his early career, he covered celebrity news for publications including Heat and US Weekly. He eventually joined Harper’s Bazaar as the royal editor, which remains his role to date.

He had been covering royal affairs for five years when Prince Harry began dating Meghan.

Mr Scobie co-authored his first book, Finding Freedom, with Carolyn Durand. The book, released in 2021, is an intimate portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Over the years, Mr Scobie has been dubbed “Meghan’s mouthpiece” for his favourable reporting of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

However, he has repeatedly said that he is not a friend of the Sussexes. In an interview with Paris Match, he said: “I am not their friend and never have been.”

However, In 2020, Mr Scobie wrote that he shared a “goodbye hug” with Meghan as she finished her last engagement as a working royal and he was one of three journalists invited to cover the event before she flew to Canada.

In Endgame, Mr Scobie revealed that Meghan had personally called him after learning that he had received threats on social media.

Is Scobie an unreliable narrator?

Friday 1 December 2023 13:50 , Athena Stavrou

As controversy around royal author Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame continues, some have questioned his reliability as a narrator.

After the Dutch translation of his book named King Charles and the Princess of Wales as the royals who raised questions over Archie’s skin colour before he was born, Mr Scobie has denied he wrote the names himself.

However, Hugo Vickers says he is not surprising that Mr Scobie’s book “full of inaccuracies and misrepresentations”.

Read the full article below:

You can count on Omid Scobie to be an unreliable narrator

Charles takes centre stage at Cop28 after Endgame book names King and Kate as royal ‘racists’

Friday 1 December 2023 13:20 , Athena Stavrou

King Charles has taken centre stage at the Cop 28 climate conference in Dubai amid a royal racism row at home.

As the publication of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame dominated headlines in the UK, Charles called for global action as he told the heads of states and governments that the dangers of climate change were no longer “distant risks”.

The address came after the monarch was named along with the Princess of Wales as the two senior royals who allegedly raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Charles takes stage at Cop28 after book names King and Kate as royal ‘racists’

PM praises Charles for Cop28 speech amid Royal race scandal

Friday 1 December 2023 12:48 , Athena Stavrou

Rishi Sunak praised the King as having been “at the forefront of the fight to protect our planet” for more than 60 years as he posted a picture of himself with Charles at Cop28 on social media.

He said on X, formerly Twitter: “For more than 60 years, His Majesty has been at the forefront of the fight to protect our planet.

“Today at #COP28 we’re committed to safeguarding the environment for generations to come.”

King Charles’ speech today marked his first public appearance since the Dutch edition of Omid Scobie’s Endgame identified himself and the Princess of Wales as the Royals accused of raising questions about Archie’s skin colour before he was born.

The King has not commented on the allegations.

Kate puts on united front with William at Royal Variety Show

Friday 1 December 2023 12:31 , 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.

The Princess and King Charles were both identified in the book as being the royals accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son before he was born.

It is their first public appearance since royal reporter Scobie’s book Endgame hit shelves on Tuesday and the palace has not yet commented on the situation.

Omid Scobie denies publicity stunt accusations

Friday 1 December 2023 11:53 , Athena Stavrou

Royal author Omid Scobie has denied that the naming of royals at the centre of an alleged racism row was a publicity stunt.

He said he did not know how the Dutch translation, which has been pulped by publishers, came to include the names of King Charles and the Princess of Wales.

Mr Scobie told Newsnight that he was “hurt” by “conspiracy theories that this is a publicity stunt”.

It comes following speculation that the names were included in an earlier draft than was translated in the Netherlands.

How did the names end up in the book?

Friday 1 December 2023 11:30 , Athena Stavrou

After King Charles and the Princess of Wales were named as being at the centre of a royal racism scandal in new book Endgame, many have asked how could such a mistake be printed?

The author, Omid Scobie, has denied including the names in any version of the manuscript he wrote and edited and has blamed ‘translation errors’.

However, others have speculated the names may have been included in an earlier draft of the book.

The Dutch translator of the book, Saskia Peeters, refuted claims she had added the names of the two royals in the Dutch translation of her own accord and said they were there “in black and white”.

Royal reporter Rick Evers questioned how it is possible to mistranslate a name, and suggested they were included in an earlier manuscript.

He told Good Morning Britain: “There are some debates about how these passages were stated in the book. I would say how could you translate a name wrong?

“I got through the book with a colleague of yours and we saw some passages were missing in the English version. Like a sentence, five sentences between the first and the third part that was in the Dutch version.

“So something has been erased during the work that has been done for the book.”

What did the Dutch translation say?

Friday 1 December 2023 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

Friday 1 December 2023 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?

Friday 1 December 2023 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?

Friday 1 December 2023 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

Friday 1 December 2023 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

Friday 1 December 2023 08:44 , Athena Stavrou