It seems like a lifetime ago now, but the November release of Omid Scobie’s bombshell book Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival was, at the time, about as tough as we thought it could get for the royal family. (Oh, how wrong we were—we had no idea that cancer, abdominal surgery, and the loss of a royal family member were awaiting us at the top of 2024.)
At least in the Dutch translation of the book, the Princess of Wales is named as one of the two royal family members (along with King Charles) that speculated about what skin tone the as-yet-unborn Prince Archie might have, an anecdote shared worldwide when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared in an interview special with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. “[There were] also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born…and what that would mean or look like,” Meghan told Winfrey in the interview. Meghan refused to specify who specifically said the remarks because it would be “damaging” to the monarchy.
OK reports that, not long after the book came out, Kate personally called Meghan in an attempt to mend fences between the two women—a big gesture to repair a relationship that, while mostly cordial, was never particularly close.
“Shortly after the book’s allegations came out, Kate reached out to Meghan to clear the air,” a source said, per OK. “Charles forced Kate to become his peacemaker after [Prince] William’s refusal.”
OK reports that Meghan was “dismayed” by the Endgame revelations, as she “never intended” for the details to become more public than what she said in the Winfrey interview. Harry and Meghan never publicly commented on Endgame, but royal expert Jennie Bond told GB News “I think it would be a very good move on their part to state clearly and unequivocally that they have absolutely nothing to do with this book, if that is the case. Because obviously, as long as they stay silent, we all think, ‘Well, you know, how could a letter between the King and Meghan Markle, how could that get into the public domain?'"
While we will probably never know the word-for-word details of Kate’s alleged call to Meghan (nor is it, quite frankly, any of our business), The Daily Express reports that the call happened to “ease the tension” between the sisters-in-law.
After being asked to reach out to Meghan by the King, Kate “agreed because, when it comes to the royal family, Kate has always taken her duties seriously—she does what she is told,” they said. “This feud has gotten so unseemly and out of hand, it’s starting to overshadow his [Charles’] reign and the entire monarchy. He wants to heal the rift once and for all.”
In a sign of that being possible, Meghan (as well as Harry) reportedly reached out to Kate upon hearing about her abdominal surgery in January, sending “get well messages” to both the Princess of Wales and the King, who at that time had a corrective procedure planned for an enlarged prostate. During that procedure, it was discovered that he had a still undisclosed type of cancer, for which he is undergoing treatment currently.
“The Duke and Duchess contacted both parties in different ways to pass on their concern and best wishes,” a source speaking to The Mirror said.
