(London) Omid Scobie, the author of the book in which two members of the royal family are said to have discussed the skin color of Harry and Meghan’s son, has defended himself against any publicity “gimmick”.
Published at 12:30 p.m.
During an event interview with Oprah Winfrey a year after their high-profile departure to the US in 2020, Harry and Meghan claimed that a member of the royal family wondered during their pregnancy what color their son Archie’s skin would be.
This interview sparked a lively debate in the United Kingdom about racism in the country and within the royal family.
The names of the two members of the royal family who are said to have had this discussion were published in the Dutch version of a new book about the Windsors, which was quickly withdrawn from sale by the publisher.
On Friday, many media outlets, including the BBC, the Daily Mirror, the Sun and the New York Times, reported that the two people mentioned in the book were King Charles III and Kate, Princess of Wales.
PHOTO PHIL HARRIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince William and his wife Kate and King Charles during a service at Westminster Abbey in London, February 2021.
But author Omid Scobie, who is known to be close to Harry and Meghan, denied publishing the names. “The English version of the book, the only one I know, the one I signed […] “It’s the book that has no name,” he said on the BBC’s “Newsnight” program on Thursday evening, defending himself against any “publicity stunt.”
“The Dutch publisher told us it was a translation error,” he explained, saying he was “hurt” by these “conspiracy theories.”
The book’s two translators have denied any wrongdoing. According to the Chron, Saskia Peeters claimed that the names appeared in the manuscript sent to her. “As a translator, I translate what is in front of me,” she said.
“The names of the royals were there in black and white. I didn’t add them,” she continued, “I just did what I was paid to do: ‘Translate the book from English to Dutch.’
Omid Scobie refused to apologize to the royal family: “It is not my job to apologize as I am still trying to understand what happened.”
On Wednesday, the television presenter Piers Morgan, who was very critical of Harry and Meghan, named the names uncensored on his show Piers Morgan and said that this would allow “an open debate”.
But he also said he did not believe “that any member of the royal family has ever made racist comments.”
In response to the allegations, Buckingham Palace said it was “examining all options”.