What we think about the royal race row
Why the Endgame revelations are a bit of a bore
It’s been a dramatic week for the Windsors, as Omid Scobie’s book Endgame “accidentally” named the two senior royals who allegedly asked about Archie’s skin colour and an almighty row has once again blown up.
When we first set up The Royal List, we made a conscious decision not to write royal gossip. We aimed to round up the week’s headline events for royal-watchers and didn’t want to take sides in debates. Sometimes, that’s been difficult to maintain, but we pride ourselves, as experienced journalists, in knowing how to seek the whole story.
We could have turned this newsletter into a partisan rant and most likely, attracted lots more subscribers, but we’re proud of what we’ve created and our expanding, wonderful, worldwide community.
However, this week, the main story has become Omid Scobie’s book “blunder” and ensuing race row and while we think the whole topic a bit of a bore, we can’t ignore it. Kerry wrote an opinion piece about it for The Sunday Telegraph. Here’s an extract:
Omid Scobie has either pulled off a masterstroke of publicity, or if we are to believe him, been the victim of an error by his book’s Dutch publishing company. Scobie is busy promoting his book Endgame, Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival, which promises to reveal if the Royal Family has “what it takes to save it”.
As he is firmly in the Sussex camp, it was always going to be pro-California and as such, does include petty revelations such as King Charles has his shoelaces ironed and describes the Princess of Wales as a Stepford Wife who spent, “more time talking about Meghan than talking to her.”
Initial reviews were tepid – The Washington Post wrote, “this is not a book of bombshells - more like boomlets. Even some Harry and Meghan content feels less than insightful.” Then suddenly, there was a major bombshell. On Wednesday it was discovered the Dutch version of Endgame had mysteriously named the two “royal racists” – the senior Windsors alleged to have questioned Archie’s skin colour before he was born – as the King and Catherine.
Scobie maintains he did not include the names in his manuscript. The book, “I wrote, the book I edited, didn’t have names in it,” he told the BBC. “We have a full investigation.” However, things took a twist when the translator, Saskia Peeters, stated she did not insert the names. “As a translator, I translate what is in front of me,” she said. “The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them,” she told the Daily Mail. “I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book.” The Dutch version was taken off sale and amended.
Piers Morgan waded in, calling Scobie “a lickspittle liar” and the Palace is said to be considering legal action. Meanwhile, the royals put on a brave face and carried on as usual. On Thursday, the King quipped he was, “alright, thank you very much. Just about,” in Dubai and Catherine attended the Royal Variety Performance.
Who to believe? Harry and Meghan have remained conspicuously silent on the subject they first alleged in their Oprah interview, incredibly, almost three years ago. So, is it game over – or endgame? Or simply the end of the latest episode or Windsor Wars? I think we all know this is a drama that’s going to run and run.
The King gives a warning
King Charles travelled to Dubai for Cop28 and gave a strong speech, on Friday. Passionate about the environment, he did not mince his words, warning we are “becoming immune” to broken climate records and asked, “How dangerous are we actually prepared to make our world?” We are dreadfully off track, he said.
“We are carrying out a vast, frightening experiment of changing every ecological condition, all at once,” he said, saying it is at a pace that “far outstrips nature’s ability to cope”. Read the full speech here.
Catherine is all smiles
On Thursday, the Princess of Wales was all smiles, despite how she must have been feeling, as she attended the Royal Variety Performance with Prince William.
The pair went to the Royal Albert Hall with the Crown Princess of Sweden and Prince Daniel and Catherine looked stunning as usual, in a blue Toteme gown with cape sleeves. The pair looked on form, roaring with laughter as they met performers back-stage. “The joy this evening brings reminds us why its continued support for the arts and entertainment industry is so important,” they posted on Instagram.
The phrase, “the show must go on” has never been more pertinent.
Sophie visits Colombia
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Edinburgh has been in Colombia this week, to support the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and continue her her work with survivors of conflict-related violence. She met the Vice President of Colombia and human-rights activist, Francia Márquez, in Bogota and visited the Centro de Memoria, Paz y Reconciliación, where she spoke to women impacted by conflict.
She also visited the Trópicos ‘Fruits of Hope’ coffee farm. Sophie is passionate about her work in this under-reported field and amidst all the other noise this week, should be commended for her commitment to what really matters.
Another sneak peek from our Christmas Gift List
We were going to run our Christmas Gift List this week, but news overtook it, so watch out for it next week. To whet your appetite, here’s another preview of something on it – the Barbour tartan leather washbag, £36.95. Our enduring image of the late Queen was her clad in her trusty Barbour jacket and the heritage brand was awarded royal warrants from Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles.