‘Error’ in book about British royals renews ‘royal racist’ speculation
The book, titled “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival,” is now being pulled from the shelves in the Netherlands after what the publisher called an “error” in the Dutch edition that reportedly named the royal involved.
The publisher said in an emailed statement to The Washington Post that it had “temporarily removed the book from sale, due to an error that occurred in the Dutch edition,” adding that a “rectified edition” would be available for sale Dec. 8. A spokesperson declined to elaborate about the nature of the error. An earlier statement given to the BBC had called it a translation error.
In the English-language edition, author Omid Scobie claimed to know the identities of two royals who were linked to the allegations, based on letters that Meghan and King Charles III, then Prince Charles, had exchanged in 2021. However, “laws in the United Kingdom prevent me from reporting who they were,” Scobie wrote, according to The Post’s review of the book.
The Dutch edition, however, appeared to include the name of a royal family member alleged to have asked questions about the baby’s skin color, the BBC reported. The British tabloids pounced on the renewed interest in the race row. “Book names ‘royal racist,’” said the front page of the Daily Mirror, while the MailOnline website ran a banner headline: “Second ‘royal racist’ named.” Some of the most-searched phrases on Google in Britain on Wednesday included “who is the royal racist?” and “which royal asked about skin color?”
The Post is not publishing the names reported to have appeared in the Dutch translation of the book because it cannot verify the accuracy of the claims.
“There’s never been a version that I’ve produced that has names in it,” Scobie told Dutch television show RTL Boulevard. “Unfortunately I can’t speak Dutch so I haven’t seen the copy for myself, so if there have been any translation errors I’m sure the publisher’s got it under control,” he said.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment when contacted by The Post on Wednesday.
In an explosive sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Harry and Meghan said that before their son Archie was born, the palace held “conversations” about “how dark his skin might be,” claims that stunned Britain and much of the world. As speculation swirled, Winfrey said Harry told her it was not Queen Elizabeth II or her husband, Prince Philip.
After the Oprah interview, Prince William told reporters “we’re very much not a racist family,” while Elizabeth said she was “saddened” by the remarks and that “while some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
Harry and Meghan’s allegations further alienated them from the royal family and reignited debate over the British monarchy’s colonial past, with some citing the interview in their arguments that former British colonies should abolish the monarchy.
Scobie, who also co-wrote “Finding Freedom,” a high-profile account of Harry and Meghan’s relationship, has been linked closely to Meghan in the past but has denied being friends with the couple. He told the Standard in an interview that “no matter how many times I explain that I’m not her friend … there’s always going to be a million people still calling me ‘Meg’s pal.’” However, he also acknowledged to the Times that he has “mutual friends” with Meghan.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told The Post on Wednesday that the error in the book resurrected the “damaging allegation, first made on Oprah,” and that “the naming of the alleged royal racist in the Dutch edition is a bizarre error” to have happened.
Fitzwilliams predicted that the book would have “dire consequences for what remains of the relationship between the royal family and the Sussexes.”
Scobie has previously asked that people invested in the story take time to read the book. “Whether you like my work or loathe it, all I ask is that if you are reading coverage about what’s supposedly inside #ENDGAME, please also read the book itself,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. “Incorrect and bad translations, snippets without context, leaks etc. do not tell the full or accurate story. Thank you.”
