'Royal Racist' Who Questioned Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's Son's Skin Color Revealed In Dutch Book
The "royal racist" who questioned the skin color of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son was inadvertently disclosed in Dutch copies of Omid Scobie's controversial royal biography, "Endgame."
Xander Publishers confirmed Tuesday that it halted sales of the book in Holland following a request from the U.S.
"I can't talk about the details," a spokesperson for the publishing house told the Daily Mail. "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."
While the final edition of the book avoids naming the individual due to libel laws, early copies sent to Dutch journalists reportedly identified the royal who had "concerns" about the skin color of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's then-unborn child. The Daily Mail chose to redact the name.
Buckingham Palace has not publicly addressed the news.
The original claim, made by Markle during her and Prince Harry's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, stirred controversy, leading to public statements from Prince William and Buckingham Palace.
The Duchess of Sussex alleged that there were "several conversations" within the royal family about "how dark" their baby's skin might be before Prince Archie's birth in May 2019.
"In those months when I was pregnant [there were] concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he was born," Markle claimed in the interview.
Prince Harry added, "That conversation, I am never going to share. At the time, it was awkward, I was a bit shocked."
At the time, Markle refused to name any names, saying, "I think it would be very damaging for them."
After the interview aired, Prince William stated publicly that they were "very much not a racist family."
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that the claims were "concerning" and that "recollections may vary," adding that the family would address the claims privately.
Prince Harry clarified in a January interview with ITV's Tom Bradby that neither he nor Markle called his family racist, emphasizing the "difference between racism and unconscious bias."
Scobie's book claimed that Markle named two people who talked about her son's skin color in private letters she exchanged with King Charles III in May 2021.
The royal biographer stated that the duchess never used the words racist or racism when she spoke about the event or in her letters. He said her concerns were that the tone revealed "lingering unconscious bias and ignorance with the family that needed to be addressed."
Scobie claimed that following the exchange, "there was at least a feeling that both had been heard" and that there were "no hard feelings" between them.
