Two royal family members appear to have been named as the “royal racists” in the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame, it was claimed today.
The translated version was dramatically pulled from shelves last night after naming the senior royal at the heart of a racism scandal involving the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Dutch royal journalist Rick Evers, who has read the translated version, said on ITV's Good Morning Britain that the first name was “very specific”, while the second one was “a little bit vague”.
Last night Scobie, 42, denied inadvertedly naming the individual who allegedly inquired about the skin colour of Meghan Markle’s baby in the lead up to Prince Archie’s birth.
The British author claimed a “translation error” had led to the name being printed in the Dutch version of his scathing takedown of the monarchy.
Evers also told co-host Richard Madeley that he didn’t believe the names were included due to “translation errors”, as Scobie previously suggested, adding “something has been erased” in the Dutch version.
“I can’t believe that it was a translation error,” he explained. “We saw some passages were missing in the English version. Like five sentences between the first and third part that wasn’t in the English version. So something has been erased during the work that has been done for the book.
He added, was that the names were in Scobie’s original manuscript but “legal agents” advised against them being included in Endgame.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Scobie for comment.
During Meghan’s infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the Duchess of Sussex claimed there were speculation about the skin colour of her and Prince Harry’s son, Archie.
The Duchess of Sussex claimed there were speculation about the skin colour of her and Prince Harry’s son, Archie— (Getty Images)
“In those months when I was pregnant... we have in tandem the conversation of ‘He won’t be given security. He’s not going to be given a title,’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” she told Winfrey.
In Endgame, Scobie discusses the royal racism row that erupted in the aftermath of Meghan’s comments, writing that two members of the royal family expressed “concerns” about Prince Archie’s complexion, rather than just one person.
He explains that, while he was aware of their identities, “laws in the United Kingdom prevent me from reporting who they were”.
It is unclear why one foreign language version of the book would name a specific individual when no other editions appear to do so, while there is no evidence that the claim is even true.
After it was reported that the Dutch translation identified the royal at the centre of these allegations, Scobie claimed “there’s been no version [of the book] that I’ve produced that has names in it.”
Appearing on Dutch chat show RTL Boulevard, he said: “The book is in several languages, and unfortunately I do not speak Dutch. But if there are translation errors, I’m sure the publishers will have it under control.
“I wrote and edited the English version,” he added. “There’s never been no version that I’ve produced that has names in it.”
Scobie’s book was later pulled from shelves in the Netherlands, as publisher Xander Uitgevers said on Tuesday that it was “temporarily withdrawing” it from bookshops in the country.
It added in a statement on its website: “An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified.”
