Meghan and Charles have a ‘pleasant but distant relationship’ after a ‘respectful back and forth’ via letter over two Royal Family members who made comments about Archie’s skin colour

The King and Meghan Markle have a ‘pleasant but distant relationship’ after a ‘respectful back and forth’ via letter over two Royal Family members who made comments about Archie’s skin colour, Omid Scobie has claimed.

Writing in his new book Endgame, which has been released in Australia, Mr Scobie said Charles first reached out to Prince Harry‘s wife in spring 2021 to share his ‘disappointment’ that the couple ‘chose to go so public with their words.’ 

The Duchess of Sussex‘s allegation in her and the Duke’s TV special with Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed member of the Royal Family spoke about ‘how dark his (Archie’s) skin might be when he’s born’ is said to have ‘upset’ the monarch.

Mr Scobie claims that sources said Charles wanted to tell his daughter-in-law that he felt there was ‘no ill will present’ when two people allegedly commented on Archie’s skin colour. 

The letters, a source told the author, were apparently ‘respectful back and forth’ but ‘serious’, adding: ‘I don’t know if either saw completely eye to eye in the end, but there was at least a feeling that both had been heard.’

King Charles III attends St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, yesterday

Mr Scobie penned: ‘Since then, said a source close to the two families, the pair have had pleasant, if occasional exchanges. “There are no hard feelings about this specific incident, but there is distance, and everything else remains unaddressed”, said the source.’

Elsewhere, Mr Scobie today claimed the notes between the King and Meghan reveal the names of two people who allegedly commented on Archie’s skin colour.

The royal author, whose new book Endgame comes out at midnight tonight, said he could not reveal the identities of the two people for fear of legal reprisals in the UK.

But he said letters were exchanged between Charles and Meghan following the allegation in the Sussexes’ bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America broadcast today, Mr Scobie was asked whether he knew who made the comments about Archie’s skin colour.

William, Harry, Meghan and Charles speak together at Westminster Abbey in March 2019

Royal author Omid Scobie gave an interview broadcast on ABC’s Good Morning America today

He said: ‘I do know who made the comments about Archie’s skin colour. The names were mentioned in letters between Meghan and Charles that were exchanged some time after the Oprah interview.

Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame about the Royal Family is set to be released tomorrow

‘We know from sources that Charles was horrified that that’s how Meghan felt. Those conversations were, and that he wanted to, sort of as a representative for the family, have that conversation with her.

‘And it is why I personally think they have been able to move forward with some kind of line of communication afterwards. Though they may not see eye to eye on it.’

Mr Scobie’s claims threaten to reignite the ‘royal racist’ row that came about after Harry and Meghan’s interview.

Meghan had alleged in the TV special that an unnamed member of the Royal Family spoke about ‘how dark his (Archie’s) skin might be when he’s born’.

But it is now being claimed that a second member of the extended Royal Household – who may not be a member of the Royal Family itself – also made similar comments.

The two people are not named in Endgame, which is subtitled ‘Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival’.

The book makes a series of claims about the royals and looks at its future following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September last year.

Meghan, Harry, William and Kate on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in July 2018

These include that William was involved in ‘things that have gone out about his own brother’ and that the elder brother ignored texts from Harry when the family were making their way to Balmoral before the late Queen died last year.

Among the other claims made in the book are that there is a rift between the King and the William, that Queen Camilla has ‘quietly thanked’ Piers Morgan for ‘defending the Firm’ and that a timid Princess of Wales has to be encouraged to perform engagements.

Mr Scobie added to ABC: ‘I think before people assume that I’m calling this the end of the Royal Family, I’m simply declaring that we’ve reached a sort of pinnacle moment where the royal family as we know it, is at stake.’

He also makes claims about Prince William leaking stories about Harry.

Mr Scobie said: ‘He’s sharing private information about his brother that ended up on the front page of a newspaper not long later. These are things that have cause irreparable damage in the relations between each other.’

Describing William as a ‘company man’, he said: ‘We have seen the emergence of a man who is much harder, who seems to have embraced and embodied the royal institution’.

The ABC report also said Harry is willing to end the rift between William, had tried to reach out to his brother and that relations with his father Charles ‘may be on the mend’.

Mr Scobie said: ‘There is a steady open line of communication between the two, where they are able to talk with each other. Where Harry, I would say, clearly understands that his father probably isn’t the most emotional or open person’.

The report on ABC said its interview with Mr Scobie also saw him claim he felt he was caught up in a family drama – and that Meghan contacted him to check he was OK.

ABC claimed Mr Scobie also says that he is not that close with Harry and Meghan and he ‘never chose Team Sussex’.

The interview will be broadcast tomorrow night on Nightline.

Mr Scobie tweeted a link to the interview on X today, adding: ‘More of this @GMA interview will be aired Tuesday on @ABC @Nightline and I’ll be live in the studios for @ABCGMA3 and @ABCNewsLive tomorrow, the global release day of #ENDGAME.’