Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should distance themselves from Omid Scobie’s explosive book as race row deepens, say royal experts – ‘The Sussexes can’t have it both ways’

Harry and Meghan must distance themselves from Omid Scobie‘s explosive book, royal experts have claimed – as the race row deepened even further today.

Mr Scobie today brushed off the naming of two royals as alleged racists in the Dutch version of Endgame, denying he was responsible in his first British TV appearance on ITV‘s This Morning.

The Sussexes’ favoured royal reporter, who was speaking hours after Piers Morgan identified the two senior royals alleged to have raised ‘concerns’ over Prince Archie‘s skin colour, squarely blamed the Dutch publisher. 

‘I never submitted a book that had those names in it,’ he declared.

But fresh questions have been raised after the Dutch translator of Endgame revealed to MailOnline that the names of the two ‘royal racists’ were in fact in the manuscript she was sent.

The pair identified in the book were named widely by media organisations around the world tonight, including the Guardian and the Times, as King Charles and Kate. 

Today, royal commentators fumed that the Sussexes ‘can’t have it both ways’ and should distance themselves from the book which has been described as a ‘rant against the Royal Family’.

Harry and Meghan (pictured in Johannesburg in 2019) must distance themselves from Omid Scobie’s explosive book as the race row deepened even further today, royal experts have claimed

Mr Scobie today brushed off the naming of two royals as alleged racists in the Dutch version of Endgame, denying he was responsible in his first British TV appearance on ITV’s This Morning (pictured on show today)

Meghan Markle first made the claim in the Sussexes’ infamous 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview when she revealed there were ‘several conversations’ between herself, Harry and Royal Family members about ‘how dark’ Archie’s skin would be. 

But almost two years later, Prince Harry denied the Sussexes had accused the Royal Family of racism and blamed it on the British press. He said the question about Archie’s skin colour was an example of ‘unconscious bias’.

Royal author Phil Dampier told MailOnline today: ‘This whole situation is getting murkier by the day. Two royals have been named in the past – in books as well as online – and only one of them was named by Piers Morgan last night and virtually confirmed by Omid Scobie today. The other is a new name to me. 

‘The onus is now very much on Harry and Meghan. He claimed in an interview with Tom Bradby that it was the British press who called the royals racist not them. But why did they mention it in the Oprah Winfrey interview at all then if they weren’t unhappy?

‘They can’t have it both ways and if they are not behind this book and don’t believe the royal relatives are racist they should now come out and say so. Their silence speaks volumes and I can’t see any reconciliations any time soon’.

Investigative journalist Tom Bower added: ‘Scobie has re-opened a vicious proxy war against the Royal Family by coyly revealing the names of the alleged racists. His allegations are not only grossly untrue and unfair but also ridiculous.

‘Moreover, Harry admitted during his book Spare’s promotion tour that the conversation was not racist.’

The original claim about racism was made by Meghan in her infamous Oprah Winfrey interview of March 2021 when she revealed there were ‘several conversations’ between herself, Harry and members of the Royal Family about ‘how dark’ their unborn baby Archie would be

Two years later, Harry told ITV’s Tom Bradby in an interview that he and Meghan had not called anyone in the Royal Family racist

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their children Archie and Lilibet in December 2021

And royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: ‘It was surreal to watch Omid Scobie on This Morning answer questions about Endgame, as though he were only responsible for the English version of the book.

‘If he ”never submitted a book which had their names in it,” then how could they possibly have been included in the Dutch copy of the book?

‘These are names which can’t be mistranslated and it is a question of how they appeared in the book, which he, as its author, is surely responsible for.

‘Scobie claims he is ”as frustrated as everyone else” about how the names were included in the Dutch edition. Many will conclude that this was an attempt to publicise a nasty book. Others may conclude that the Sussexes may have been behind it or even instigated it’.

MailOnline has asked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to comment. Sources close to the couple have denied that they had any ‘affiliation’ with the book.

Mr Fitzwilliams described Endgame as a ‘rant against the Royal Family’, adding: ‘What Omid Scobie is doing is proving that he is the ultimate figure when it comes to seeking sensation, I’m afraid. 

‘In his book Scobie makes clear he thinks the monarchy is in decline, possibly terminal decline. He has taken a chance in weird circumstances to embarrass it’.

Mr Scobie said that he had not named the royals in his book for legal reasons – only to pop up in the Dutch version, which he called an ‘error’.

Dutch translator Saskia Peeters (pictured today) who worked on Omid Scobie’s controversial book has insisted the names of two royals at the centre of racism scandal were in the manuscript she was sent

The inclusion of the names led to 5,000 copies of the book – called ‘Final Battle’ (pictured) in Holland – being withdrawn from sale on the bookshelves and pulped

It comes as well-placed sources revealed that Buckingham Palace is today ‘considering all options’ over the royal race row stoked by Scobie’s ‘poisonous’ new book.

Sources have told the Mail while King Charles is determined to focus on important state business in Dubai, where he is holding bilateral meetings ahead of giving a keynote opening speech at the COP28 summit on Friday, aides are seriously looking at how they should, if at all, respond.

While it is clear that courtiers will be looking at the various legal options open to them, it is incredibly unlikely that they would actually sue Scobie. They would not want to get into a protracted legal battle.

But a source told the Mail: ‘I understand the palace is considering all options open to them. 

‘However the key thing for them is His Majesty responding in the most eloquent way possible by getting on with business and not letting it distract from vastly more important issues regarding the future on the planet and bilaterals with other world leaders including those impacted by the situation in the Middle East.’

This afternoon, Saskia Peeters, the Dutch translator who worked on Scobie’s book, said she did not add the names to the Dutch version of the book Endgame. 

Speaking to MailOnline from her home in Arnhem, she said: ‘As a translator, I translate what is in front of me.

‘The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them. I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English into Dutch.’