Omid Scobie has refused to apologize to the two royals. The Dutch version of his book claimed there were “concerns” about Prince Archie’s skin color – after both Endgame translators insisted the names were in the manuscript sent to them.
In a tense BBC interview with Victoria Derbyshire last night, Mr Scobie had the opportunity to apologize to the royal family but instead explained: “It’s not my job to apologize because I still want to know what happened. “
The royal author, 42, said the book he was “extremely proud of” was “totally overshadowed by an event that caused me a lot of frustration.”
The Dutch edition of Mr Scobie’s book named the two royals whom Meghan reportedly accused of having “worries” about “how dark” Prince Archie would be, after which Piers Morgan identified their names on live television last night.
The couple identified in the book were last night widely referred to as King Charles and Kate by media organizations around the world, including the Guardian and the Times.
Sources close to the Duchess of Sussex, who reportedly named the couple by name in a letter to Charles, insisted to the Telegraph that she “never intended for the two to be publicly identified” and that this was “not intended by anyone within her was passed on to Mr Scobie”. Camp’.
Omid Scobie refused to apologize to the two senior royals who he claimed in his book had “concerns” about Prince Archie’s skin color
In a tense BBC interview with Victoria Derbyshire, Scobie explained: “It’s not my job to apologize because I still want to know what happened.”
Dutch translators Saskia Peeters (left) and Nellie Keukelaar-van Rijsbergern (right), who worked on Omid Scobie’s controversial book, have insisted that the names of two royals at the center of the racism scandal were in the manuscript, which was sent to them
The Prince and Princess of Wales displayed a usual demeanor as they attended the 2023 Royal Variety Performance amid an intensifying racial row reignited by Omid Scobie
King Charles also brushed aside the racism controversy when he visited Dubai for the Cop28 summit. Here he speaks to representatives at the Commonwealth and Nature reception yesterday
When Mr Scobie was asked if he could say “hand on heart” that this was not a publicity stunt to sell more books, he replied: “On my life, on the life of my family.”
Last night he told Newsnight that “there are irresponsible people in this country who have broken the law and repeated names that should never have been repeated”.
“The book I wrote, the book I edited, the book I signed didn’t have any names in it,” he added. “I’m just as frustrated as everyone else.”
Mr Scobie said a full investigation was underway into what happened after he first heard about it on social media.
The author, who said his book had been “legalized and verified”, explained that he had conducted successive interviews on the day the Dutch publisher told him there had been a “translation error”.
He added: “So I’m looking forward to finding out more about it because the English version of the book – the only one I know – the version that I signed, that’s the book that’s out today, that’s that Book, that.” contains no names.
“I make it very clear because ultimately when it comes to writing the names it is a show and tell situation, there is no way to show anything so there was never any attempt to name names.”
Mr Scobie delivered his speech as members of the royal family got down to business as usual, with King Charles in Dubai for Cop28 and Prince William and Kate shining at the Royal Variety Performance in London.
Palace sources told the Mirror that “the entire royal family is united in outrage” after members of the family were “wrongfully named in this way.”
They added: “It is absolutely and unequivocally denied that anything said by the two publicly named individuals was, or could even be considered to be, said in a racist manner.”
The dispute has been described as an “outrageous slander” that began with the Oprah interview but has now “expanded into another stratosphere.”
The interview also came just hours after both Dutch translators who worked on Mr. Scobie’s controversial book insisted that the names of two royals at the center of a racism scandal were in the manuscript they received had.
Saskia Peeters said she did not add the names to the Dutch version of the book Endgame. Speaking to Web from her home in Arnhem, she said: “As a translator, I translate what is in front of me.”
“The royals’ names were there in black and white.” I didn’t add them. “I simply did what I was paid to do, which was to translate the book from English to Dutch.”
The second translator, Nellie Keukelaar-van Rijsbergern, then told The Sun: “We are professionals and have been doing this for years, both of us. “It’s unfair.”
Her claims appear to contradict those of Scobie (pictured yesterday), who insisted he had not named the two royals
The alleged racist comments concerned “concerns” about Prince Archie’s skin color. Pictured: Harry and Meghan in Sydney in 2018
Saskia said she did not add the names to the Dutch version of the book Endgame (pictured).
The inclusion of the names resulted in 5,000 copies of the book – called “Final Battle” in Holland – being taken off the bookshelf and pulped.
Bookstores were ordered to remove the paperback from their shelves and return it to the publisher. The book goes on sale again next week.
TV presenter Piers Morgan first announced the couple’s names on his evening show on Wednesday evening.
Last night he hosted another show in which he defended his decision, before describing Mr Scobie as a “proven liar” who is “dragging the royal family once again and reigniting these accusations of racism because he sells books and makes money.” want”. .
Responding to Mr Scobie’s statement that he was “frustrated”, Morgan also tweeted: “It must be very frustrating when a random person in the Netherlands decides to insert passages in your own book about King Charles and the Princess of Being called Wales and being racially abused. ‘You have no idea how this happened.’
The Dutch edition of the book is said to contain the names of the two royals, but there are no details about what was said during the alleged conversations. Mr Scobie has provided no evidence to support the claims.
Ms. Peeters was clearly shocked and nervous about the firestorm her translation had created.
She did not say when she received the manuscript from Dutch publisher Xander Uitgevers.
She said the pages were distributed between her and fellow translator Nellie Keukellar-van Rijsbergen for transcribing.
When the book’s author learned that Mr. Scobie had disputed the names in his manuscript, Ms. Peters said, “I don’t know why he would say that.”
“I have been translating for many years. This is the first time something like this has happened.
“It’s not something I wanted to be involved with. That was disturbing. ‘I don’t want to talk about it much anymore.’
The original claim was made by Meghan Markle in the Sussexes’ infamous 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview (pictured), when she revealed that there had been “multiple conversations” between her, Harry and members of the royal family about “how dark” Archie was would be
The inclusion of the names resulted in 5,000 copies of the book – called Final Battle in Holland (pictured) – being taken off the bookshelf and pulped
Omid Scobie before the Platinum Jubilee Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on June 3, 2022
Ms Peters and her colleague Keukellar-van Rijsbergen are credited with the translation in the foreword to the book, which has been described as “poisonous” for its attacks on the royal family, particularly Charles, Camilla and the Princess of Wales.
It is understood that Xander Uitgevers sent them the English version of Endgame.
Mr Scobie issued a statement yesterday afternoon insisting there was a “translation error” in the Dutch version and he was “glad” it had been corrected.
However, the Dutch publisher simply referred to “an error that occurred in the Dutch edition” – without reference to a translation problem, suggesting that there may be differing opinions about what actually happened.
Ms Peeters’ colleagues said it was “unthinkable” that the senior translators would add the names without checking with the publisher.
Paul Janse, who runs a book translation service, said: “I find it truly unthinkable that a translator would mention names that were not included in their English translation, especially on such a sensitive matter.”
“It doesn’t make any sense to me. As a book translator, you work with what is in front of you. I think they must have used a version with the names in it.’
Another experienced book translator based in Amsterdam also said that the couple responsible for the Dutch version of Endgame would not have written the names if they were not already in the manuscript.
“Why would they choose those names out of all the names they could use?” said the translator.
“They are very experienced professionals who have a lot of credit for themselves. ‘Why should they risk that and who is to say they have the right names?’
Peeters has more than 20 years of experience translating books from English into Dutch, including fiction and cookbooks.
Your colleague has translated books for bestselling authors Nicholas Sprks and Wilbur Smith.
It comes as well-informed sources told the Mail that Buckingham Palace is “considering all options” to prevent the royal race row fueled by Mr Scobie’s new book.
Sources say that while King Charles is determined to focus on important state matters in Dubai, where he is holding bilateral meetings before delivering a keynote speech to open the COP28 summit on Friday, aides are seriously considering how, if at all , should do this. answer.
While it is clear that courtiers will explore the various legal options available to them, it is extremely unlikely that they would actually sue Mr Scobie. You wouldn’t want to get involved in a lengthy legal battle.
But a source told the Mail: “I understand the palace is considering all options available to it.”
“The most important thing for them, however, is that His Majesty responds as eloquently as possible by carrying on with their business and not distracting them from far more important issues regarding the future of the planet and bilateral discussions with other world leaders, including those from the “In the Middle East.”
Another option available to them could be to send out a legal warning to those tempted to repeat the names again, especially given that there is no confirmation that they are in fact the people affected or whether there is any truth to the allegations themselves.
An indomitable King Charles settled the Endgame dispute yesterday
King Charles receives a parrot figurine at the Commonwealth and Nature reception
The other option would be to make a public statement, similar to what the late Queen Elizabeth did after Harry and Meghan highlighted their original allegations in their Oprah interview in 2021, when the Duchess of Sussex claimed a senior royal had her ” Concern expressed. about the skin color of her son, Prince Archie.
Then the late monarch famously said that while issues surrounding race were concerning, “recollections may vary,” and vowed to address the matter privately.
It was reported that the king and his daughter-in-law subsequently exchanged letters about the matter, in which he is said to have expressed his sadness that she felt this way, but took great pains to explain that there was no ill will either an arbitrary intention would have given “prejudice” on behalf of those involved.
It is said that he wanted to clarify something that was close to his heart.
The indomitable King Charles III. yesterday brushed off the controversy over Endgame as he landed in Dubai, where he will deliver a keynote speech at the COP28 climate conference.
When Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asked how he was doing, the monarch replied: “I’m doing very well, almost.”
He added: “I had a pretty old birthday and recently recovered from the shock of it” – a reference to the 75th birthday earlier this month.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were also in the thick of the race – welcoming the future Queen of Sweden and her husband to Windsor Castle yesterday. Later they attended the Royal Variety Performance.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their children Archie and Lilibet in December 2021
Ahead of his BBC appearance, Mr Scobie appeared on ITV’s This Morning to blame the Dutch publisher, declaring: “I have never submitted a book in which these names appeared.”
The interview began with a denial that he was “Meghan’s mouthpiece” and he offered no mea culpa or apology for the mistake and when asked if he was upset he said:
“I’m obviously frustrated. I wouldn’t say I’m upset about it.
Asked if the Dutch Farrago was a “stunt to sell books” given the poor reviews, he said: “I wish that was the case” and that “an investigation is underway”.
“I had never submitted a book with either of their names in it, so I can only speak about my version,” he said. “I wrote and published the English version of the book with a publisher. This is then licensed to other publishers. I don’t know Italian, German, French, Dutch or any of the other languages it comes out in.
He also said that he and Endgame had been unfairly criticized. He said: “I knew this book would be controversial, whether it was about race or the palace’s relationship with the press.” I never expected it to be presented fairly. He said: “There have been unfair attacks on me.”
He said he believes he was victimized because he said “loudly from the start” that Meghan suffered from racism. He added that because he’s mixed race, he has a different perspective on the racism she faced – but stressed that he’s not just some “vocal fan.”
Mr Scobie said he was “as frustrated as anyone” and added: “I make it very clear in this book that I want to abide by the law around this issue in every way possible.”
“That’s why I was very careful about how it was described in the book, and that’s why I never spoke about it beyond what I’ve said publicly before.”
“But the reality is that this is information that is not only available to me.” Journalists on the other side of Fleet Street have long known these names. We all follow a certain code of conduct when it comes to talking about it.
“It’s frustrating that what’s happening in the Netherlands now is what’s happening with the book, which was obviously immediately withdrawn and is now being republished, and I’m glad to hear that.” But for me I can only talk about the English version of the book that I wrote and produced.”