In a startling twist, the identity of the royal figure expressing concerns about the skin color of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son has inadvertently been disclosed in Dutch editions of Omid Scobie’s revelatory book, “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival.”
The bombshell revelation prompted Xander Publishers to swiftly respond to a request from the United States, halting sales of the book in Holland.
A spokesperson for Xander Publishers, while refraining from divulging specifics, acknowledged the request, stating, “We have, however, received a request to put the title on hold, and that is what we have done. We are awaiting further instructions. I do not know how long this will be.”
In the final edition of the book, focused on the state of the British monarchy post-Queen Elizabeth II’s demise in September 2022, Scobie refrains from explicitly naming the family member in question due to libel laws. However, early copies disseminated to Dutch journalists reportedly contained the inadvertent revelation, though the Daily Mail opted to redact the identity.
While we cannot independently verify the disclosed name, Dutch media observers affirm that it aligns with assertions from previously released royal biographies from the preceding year.
In a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle alleged that a family member had expressed concerns about “how dark” their son Archie’s skin might be at birth in May 2019—a sentiment widely criticized as racist. Markle, being biracial, also disclosed being informed that her son would neither receive a royal title nor be entitled to security.
Despite being characterized as a racist inquiry by many, the specifics of the family member’s identity remained undisclosed in the final edition of Scobie’s book. However, in a Dutch version, the information accidentally surfaced.
During the Oprah interview, Markle detailed multiple conversations about Archie’s skin, responding to Winfrey’s query about whether the discussions were about the child’s race. The Duchess of Sussex replied, “Potentially, and what that would mean or look like.”
In a subsequent interview in January 2023, Prince Harry acknowledged the awkwardness of these conversations about his son’s skin but pledged not to reveal the relative involved. He also made a distinction between racism and unconscious bias, asserting that neither he nor Markle labeled his family as racist.
Harry did acknowledge that the unsettling question about the appearance of their future children arose early in their relationship, particularly when financial concerns prompted family members to suggest Markle continue acting for income.
The couple, who wed in May 2018 and departed from the royal family less than two years later, have consistently kept the identity of the family member in question undisclosed, ruling out Harry’s late grandparents, the Queen and Prince Philip. Markle, however, named two individuals in private letters to King Charles III around May 2021, as detailed in Scobie’s book. Prior royal biographies had implicated Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, in making remarks about Archie’s “complexion” and “ginger Afro hair,” but sources clarified last year that Camilla was not the alleged “racist” royal.
