Debate breaks out on GMB as a journalist says royal should discuss ‘unconscious bias’ amid Omid Scobie race row – but historian says playing the blame game is ‘unhelpful’

Good Morning Britain erupted into debate today as a journalist and historian clashed over Omid Scobie’s race row allegations.

Broadcaster Ateh Jewel said that the monarchy should have an ‘open and meaningful discussion’ over race, while historian Tessa Dunlop said ‘it’s unhelpful’ playing the blame game. 

The debate comes after Omid Scobie reignited the royal race row with his book Endgame after a Dutch language edition named the two royals said to have discussed the skin tone of Harry and Meghan’s son Archie before he was born. 

‘I’m pro monarchy, I do believe there is a place and as the country’s first family they need to lead the conversation, as a black woman and a mother of mixed heritage children I really believe they have a responsibility to talk about this.

‘I don’t believe in cancel culture but I do believe in accountability and leading the conversation,’ Ateh said. 

Broadcaster and Journalist Ateh Jewel (right) said ‘it is the responsibility of the monarchy to have an open meaningful discussion’, while historian Tessa Dunlop (left) says ‘it’s unhelpful’ playing the blame game

‘Racism today and unconscious bias is so nuanced, you don’t have to throw around the N word and have a burning cross in your garden to have racism.

‘It’s so much more covert and it’s something I have dealt with all my life, and my children, and I think it is the responsibility of the monarchy to have an open meaningful discussion about this.’ 

While Tessa thought the answer was to immerse the royal family in more diverse communities who ‘don’t represent an entitled white class.’  

‘Clearly there was clumsiness around relations with Meghan, probably unconscious bias, we should be helping and insisting that our royal family are more immersive and the staff are more diverse,’ she said. 

‘For example, the education of their children, what schools will they go to, are they going to have day to day meaningful interactions with people who don’t represent an entitled white class.

‘They are not only part of Britain, head of state here in Britain and the commonwealth where the majority are non-white so it’s imperative, but we don’t serve them well by going it was her, it was him, that’s unhelpful I feel.’

The debate comes after King Charles and the Princess of Wales have been named in the Dutch version of the book as the royals that allegedly expressed ‘concerns’ over Prince Archie’s skin colour. 

While Tessa thought the answer was to immerse the royal family in more diverse communities who ‘don’t represent an entitled white class’

Good Morning Britain played host to the impassioned debate today, asking if the royals respond to the race row allegations

GMB viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, with their own views which appeared mixed

GMB viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, with their own views which appeared mixed. 

One person said: ‘It was a valid question… every family speculate about a new baby, will the baby comes with a big head like the dad, big ears like the mama, dark skin and so on, nothing new.’

Another wrote: ‘No. It’s not a racist question anyway, more curiosity. It was perfectly normal.’

Someone else wrote: ‘When this comes up people always forget the key words Harry & Meghan said ! That word is – CONCERN. 

 In a tense BBC interview with Victoria Derbyshire , Scobie declared: ‘It’s not for me to apologise because I still want to know what’s happened.’

‘The Royals raised concern as to how dark Archie would be. That is not ‘normal’. Regardless if this was H&M story or someone else’s, raising CONCERN is just that in itself.’

While a fourth wrote: ‘There is nothing normal about asking what skin color an unborn baby will be. 

‘Asking the eye color, or who the baby will look like are common questions not the pigmentation of their skin. 

‘Was George, Charlotte, and Louis skin tone a discussion before they were born?’

Omid Scobie denied naming the two royals in the Dutch version of Endgame and also claimed it wasn’t a ‘stunt’ to shift more copies of his book.

The Prince and Princess of Wales put on a business-as-usual attitude as they attended the Royal Variety Performance 2023

King Charles also brushed off the racism row as he visited Dubai for the Cop28 summit. Here, he talks to representatives at the Commonwealth and Nature reception yesterday

The alleged racist comments were made about ‘concerns’ over Prince Archie’s skin colour. Pictured: Harry and Meghan in Sydney in 2018 

Mr Scobie, 42, said he was ‘hurt’ by the suggestion and dismissed it as a conspiracy theory by people who want to believe that he is ‘in cahoots’ with Meghan Markle, declaring: ‘It couldn’t be further from the truth’.

He also refused to apologise for the racism scandal that has erupted, claiming: ‘I’m as frustrated as everyone else. The book I wrote, the book I edited, the book I signed off on, did not have names in it’.

Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Two’s Newsnight, Mr Scobie was asked to say ‘hand on heart’ that the farrago over the Dutch translation was not a PR stunt. He raised his hands, shaking his head, and replied: ‘On my life, on my family’s life.’ Ms Derbyshire said: ‘You don’t have to go that far, it’s fine’.