38 minutes ago
About sharing
Watch: Omid Scobie denies the Dutch printing error was a publicity stunt
An author whose book triggered a row over allegations of racism within the Royal Family has said the naming of two people in one edition was not a deliberate publicity stunt.
Omid Scobie told BBC Newsnight he did not know how a Dutch translation of Endgame came to include the names.
Two royals are reported to have asked about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s unborn baby.
Scobie said he swore “on my life” the naming was not an orchestrated stunt.
He said a “full investigation” was under way to discover how the names were included, adding the English version of the book “I wrote, the book I edited, didn’t have names in it”.
The passage relates to allegations made by Prince Harry and Meghan during their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
The Dutch language edition of his book, entitled Eindstrijd, appeared to identify the two royals alleged to have been involved in the conversation.
In the English version of the book, Scobie claimed there had been two people involved and that he knew their identities, but he said for legal reasons the names could not be disclosed.
The author said he “found out on social media” about controversy surrounding the Dutch translation, and said he is “looking forward to finding out more”.
Scobie said the row has “overshadowed” the release of the book, and that he has received several death threats in the aftermath.
Asked if he would apologise for the naming, he said: “It’s not for me to apologise because I still want to know what has happened.”
The Dutch version has been withdrawn from sale. Publishing house Xander Uitgevers said the book would be re-released on Friday in a “rectified” version.
“An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified,” said its managing director, Anke Roelen, on Tuesday night.
Broadcaster Piers Morgan identified the two royals alleged to have made the comments on his television show on Wednesday, and some newspapers have since followed suit.
When asked about reports that Buckingham Palace was considering legal action over Morgan naming the two royals, a Palace spokesperson said “we’re exploring all options”.
Representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan have not commented.
Related Topics
12 hours ago
2 days ago
