Piers Morgan explains why he named Charles and Kate as ‘royal racists’ in Omid Scobie book - live

Piers Morgan has explained why he named the two allegedly “racist” members of the royal family featured in a Dutch translation of new book Endgame.

Earlier this week, the broadcaster decided to name the Princess of Wales and King Charles as the two senior royals inadvertently identified in an excerpt from Omid Scobie’s book about the royal racism scandal involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2021.

At the time, he said: “If Dutch people wandering into a bookshop can see these names, then you, the British people who actually pay for the royal family are entitled to know, too.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan are yet to break their silence after the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s book Endgame identified them both at the centre of a racism row.

A source close to the royal family has called on the Sussexes to speak out and defend their relatives as their silence is “deafening”, according to The Telegraph.

Key Points

  • Harry and Meghan called to break their ‘deafening’ silence - report

  • Palace ‘considering all options’ on Endgame translation

  • Piers Morgan identifies alleged royal racists

  • King takes centre stage at Cop28 after being named in Endgame translation

Watch - Omid Scobie fights back tears as he defends Endgame following backlash

21:36 , Lydia Patrick

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

17:34 , Joe Middleton

As the royal ‘exposer-in-chief’ Omid Scobie is lambasted for betraying so many private conversations with his gossipy book ‘Endgame’, Harry’s biographer Angela Levin asks why has there been no word from the Sussexes

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

MP in bid to strip Harry and Meghan of titles

14:56 , Archie Mitchell

A Tory MP is pushing for parliament to strip Harry and Meghan of their royal titles, leaving them as simply “Mr and Mrs Sussex”, as the fallout over the royal race row continues.

Bob Seely is proposing the “nuclear option” of denying the couple their standing in the Royal Family amid damaging claims made in a palace exposé, relating to the Sussexes bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021.

The Isle of Wight MP wants to adapt laws originally passed in the First World War to deny enemy German nobles their British titles.

His Bill would force MPs to consider turning Harry and Meghan into Mr and Mrs Sussex as pressure mounts on the couple over revelations in the new book Endgame, by royal author Omid Scobie.

Read more below:

Tory MP in bid to strip Harry and Meghan of their titles over royal race row

Harry and Meghan ‘excluded from wedding'

14:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have reportedly been excluded from the upcoming wedding of the Duke of Westminster, a lifelong friend of Prince Harry and Archie’s godfather, as the fallout from the publication of Endgame rumbles on.

Hugh Grosvenor has invited the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales to his nuptials next summer with Olivia Henson, set to be the society wedding of the year.

But it is understood the lifelong friend of the princes did not invite Harry in order to avoid a family clash at the wedding and risk “anything overshadowing the day”.

Read more below:

Harry and Meghan Markle remain silent as ‘royal racists’ named in Omid Scobie’s book

Omid Scobie opens up on 'upsetting' revelation about Harry and William's relationship

07:00 , Joe Middleton

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

06:00 , Joe Middleton

As the royal ‘exposer-in-chief’ Omid Scobie is lambasted for betraying so many private conversations with his gossipy book ‘Endgame’, Harry’s biographer Angela Levin asks why has there been no word from the Sussexes

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Sir Trevor Phillips says Scobie’s allegations about royals are ‘nonsense'

04:00 , Joe Middleton

Writer Scobie accused of ‘stunt to sell books’ over naming of race row royals

03:00 , Joe Middleton

Author Omid Scobie has been accused of being behind a “stunt to sell books” during a television interview where he claimed never to have named the two race row royals in his expose.

This Morning co-host Craig Doyle quizzed the journalist about his royal family book Endgame, saying it seemed “bizarre” to the public that two members of the monarchy, accused of racism by commentators, had been identified in the Dutch version of his book.

Copies of Mr Scobie’s book were pulled from the shelves in the Netherlands on publication day on Tuesday, when they were found to have named two members of the royal family alleged to have raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Writer Scobie accused of ‘stunt to sell books’ over naming of race row royals

10 explosive claims from Omid Scobie’s scathing new royal book Endgame

02:00 , Joe Middleton

No sooner had controversial royal reporter Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame hit stands in Netherlands, its publishers announced the translated version was being recalled and pulped over an explosive publishing error.

The publishing house, Xander Uitgevers announced on Tuesday that it’s “temporarily withdrawing” the book after “an error occurred in the Dutch translation” that is currently being rectified.

Scobie, 42, also cited a “translation error” while denying claims he had named the “royal racist” who allegedly inquired about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s firstborn in his book, which has been criticised as a biased takedown of the British monarchy.

10 explosive claims from Omid Scobie’s scathing new book Endgame

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade?

01:00 , Joe Middleton

Omid Scobie’s hit piece against the royal family has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, writes Sean O’Grady – a cause to which the Sussexes claim to be passionately committed:

Prince Philip always used to say that the British monarchy would survive for as long as it made itself useful. In Dubai for the Cop28 climate change summit, his son has demonstrated exactly how that can and should be done.

In his latest attack on him and the royal family, royal biographer Omid Scobie has – inadvertently or not – done neither himself, nor Harry and Meghan, any favours. Unforgivably – albeit probably through an accident of timing and production – Scobie’s book Endgame has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, a cause to which the Sussexes claim to be passionately committed.

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade? | Sean O’Grady

Omid Scobie refuses to apologise after King Charles and Kate named in Dutch book

Saturday 2 December 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Saturday 2 December 2023 22:00 , Joe Middleton

As the royal ‘exposer-in-chief’ Omid Scobie is lambasted for betraying so many private conversations with his gossipy book ‘Endgame’, Harry’s biographer Angela Levin asks why has there been no word from the Sussexes

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade?

Saturday 2 December 2023 21:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Omid Scobie’s hit piece against the royal family has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, writes Sean O’Grady – a cause to which the Sussexes claim to be passionately committed:

Prince Philip always used to say that the British monarchy would survive for as long as it made itself useful. In Dubai for the Cop28 climate change summit, his son has demonstrated exactly how that can and should be done.

In his latest attack on him and the royal family, royal biographer Omid Scobie has – inadvertently or not – done neither himself, nor Harry and Meghan, any favours. Unforgivably – albeit probably through an accident of timing and production – Scobie’s book Endgame has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, a cause to which the Sussexes claim to be passionately committed.

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade? | Sean O’Grady

10 explosive claims from Omid Scobie’s scathing new royal book Endgame

Saturday 2 December 2023 20:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

No sooner had controversial royal reporter Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame hit stands in Netherlands, its publishers announced the translated version was being recalled and pulped over an explosive publishing error.

The publishing house, Xander Uitgevers announced on Tuesday that it’s “temporarily withdrawing” the book after “an error occurred in the Dutch translation” that is currently being rectified.

Scobie, 42, also cited a “translation error” while denying claims he had named the “royal racist” who allegedly inquired about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s firstborn in his book, which has been criticised as a biased takedown of the British monarchy.

10 explosive claims from Omid Scobie’s scathing new book Endgame

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Saturday 2 December 2023 19:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As the royal ‘exposer-in-chief’ Omid Scobie is lambasted for betraying so many private conversations with his gossipy book ‘Endgame’, Harry’s biographer Angela Levin asks why has there been no word from the Sussexes:

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Writer Scobie accused of ‘stunt to sell books’ over naming of race row royals

Saturday 2 December 2023 18:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Author Omid Scobie has been accused of being behind a “stunt to sell books” during a television interview where he claimed never to have named the two race row royals in his expose.

This Morning co-host Craig Doyle quizzed the journalist about his royal family book Endgame, saying it seemed “bizarre” to the public that two members of the monarchy, accused of racism by commentators, had been identified in the Dutch version of his book.

Copies of Mr Scobie’s book were pulled from the shelves in the Netherlands on publication day on Tuesday, when they were found to have named two members of the royal family alleged to have raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Writer Scobie accused of ‘stunt to sell books’ over naming of race row royals

Who is Omid Scobie? Author of Endgame which ‘named royal racists’

Saturday 2 December 2023 17:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As the world reacts to the unfolding drama, we take a look at the man behind Endgame:

Who is Omid Scobie? Author of Endgame which ‘named royal racists’

Dutch translator of Omid Scobie’s Endgame denies making error: ‘The names were there in black and white’

Saturday 2 December 2023 16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Dutch translator for Omid Scobie’s Endgame has broken her silence to insist the names of the royals who allegedly raised questions about Prince Archie’s skin colour were “there in black and white” in the manuscript she was sent.

The royal author’s second book was pulled from the shelves in the Netherlands after the translated version identified the two royals said to have questioned the skin tone of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s child before he was born.

The publisher dismissed the edition containing the names as a “translation error”. But translator Saskia Peeters, who worked on Scobie‘s latest book, refuted claims she had added the names of the two royals in the Dutch translation of her own accord, despite the English version leaving them out.

Endgame’s Dutch translator breaks silence: ‘The names were there in black and white’

King Charles: We are headed for dangerous, uncharted territory (No, he’s not talking about you, Harry)

Saturday 2 December 2023 15:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

King Charles shrugged off a royal racism storm that threatened to overshadow his Cop28 speech, delivering an urgent message to world leaders: “The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.”

Echoing The Independent’s call for action to turn the tide of climate change before it is too late, he told delegates at the Dubai eco-conference that nations must work together to preserve our planet for generations to come.

“I pray Cop28 will be a critical tipping point towards genuine action,” Charles said, ignoring the racism row that continues to rumble on in the wake of royal author Omid Scobie’s palace exposé, Endgame.

King Charles: We are headed for dangerous, uncharted territory

Endgame page 128: Inside the leaked Dutch version of Scobie book which names royal ‘racist’

Saturday 2 December 2023 13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A new book about the royal family has reignited a racism row, after it named two members of the family who allegedly made comments about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Endgame, by royal author Omid Scobie, refers to the row that started two years ago after comments made by Meghan Markle in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

But the Dutch version of the book names the individuals said to have been involved as King Charles and the Princess of Wales.

Endgame page 128: Inside Dutch version of Scobie book which names royal ‘racist’

The Crown’s dialect coach on teaching actors to sound like Princess Diana: ‘Everybody struggles with this posh “ah” sound’

Saturday 2 December 2023 13:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

For more than a decade, William Conacher has been teaching stars from Naomi Watts to Elizabeth Debicki how to sound like the Princess of Wales. Ahead of the final batch of ‘The Crown’ episodes, he gives Isobel Lewis a lesson in Diana-isms:

The late Princess Diana had one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, and the voice to match. Over the years, plenty have parodied the doe-eyed, low-voiced royal. But according to dialect coach William Conacher, the man responsible for getting some of the world’s biggest actors to sound like Diana, it’s much more complex than it might seem.

The Crown dialect coach on teaching actors to sound like Princess Diana

From Oprah to Endgame: How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

Saturday 2 December 2023 12:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

It was a royal saga to put even the most dramatic of Crown episodes to shame.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, sat across from Oprah Winfrey in a sprawling LA mansion, making the astonishing claim that a senior member of the royal family had made comments about the skin colour of their then unborn child, Archie.

The fallout was enormous, and though the Duke of Sussex later distanced himself from the remarks, the damage to The Firm was undeniable.

Fast forward two years when Omid Scobie’s book, Endgame, which purports to expose the monarchy and the fierce battles fought among the royals, reignited the damaging row thanks to a “translation error” which identified the two senior royals at the heart of the claims: Charles and Catherine.

How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

Boris Johnson says questioning a baby’s skin colour is just ‘human nature’ amid royal racism row

Saturday 2 December 2023 11:12 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Boris Johnson has called the racism row surrounding the royal family “normal” and “not remotely racist”.

The racism row has reared its head once more in the wake of Omid Scobie’s tell-all book, which hit the stands on Tuesday.

A Dutch translation of the book identified King Charles and the Princess of Wales as the two senior royals who allegedly raised “concerns” about the skin colour of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son.

Boris Johnson says questioning a baby’s skin colour is just ‘human nature’

Boris Johnson weighs in on royal racism row

Saturday 2 December 2023 10:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former UK prime Minister Boris Johnson has called the racism row surrounding the royal family “normal” and “not remotely racist”.

The racism row has reared its head once more in the wake of Omid Scobie’s tell-all book, which hit the stands on Tuesday.

While the English version made no mention of who said what, a misprint in the recalled Dutch translation pointed the finger at two senior royals.

The revelation of the accused royals made headlines around the world and saw Dutch versions of the book pulled from shelves.

The former PM wrote in the Daily Mail: “To ask such questions, in anticipation of a happy event, is simple human nature.

“It is one of the greatest joys and -mysteries of life that we have no real idea, in utero, what our children will look like ... that, I expect, was exactly the kind of ruminative debate that the so-called royal racist was having.”

The former prime minister went on to use his op-ed to attack “wokery and cancel culture”, which he believes is at the heart of the latest royal fiasco.

He said: “Frankly, I neither know nor care which royal said something about Archie, but I am certain that he or she was not remotely racist.

“It’s time to stop all this nonsense, and re-draw the distinction between the ugliness of racism and prejudice - against which we have abundant statutes - and ordinary, innocent patterns of human thought and behaviour.”

 (PA Wire)
(PA Wire)

Voices: Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Saturday 2 December 2023 09:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

As the royal ‘exposer-in-chief’ Omid Scobie is lambasted for betraying so many private conversations with his gossipy book ‘Endgame’, Harry’s biographer Angela Levin asks why has there been no word from the Sussexes.

The test to determine whether Harry and Meghan were involved with Omid Scobie’s new book, Endgame, is to see if Prince Harry sues him. Harry dislikes anyone breaching his privacy and is a regular at the high courts.

Similarly, Meghan isn’t known to be slow in calling out intrusion when private correspondence is thrust into the public domain. It is something she has done before, and after the contents of private letters exchanged between King Charles have been exposed, why not now?

Why won’t Prince Harry speak out to defend his dad?

Saturday 2 December 2023 08:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Omid Scobie refuses to apologise after King Charles and Kate named in Dutch book

Prince Harry and Meghan’ urged to defend King and Princess of Wales'

Saturday 2 December 2023 07:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been urged to back the King and Princess of Wales amid accusations of racism.

Prince Harry and Meghan have so far made no comment after Charles III and Katherine were accused of raising questions about the skin colour of Archie in a Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s Endgame.

“For the couple that talked about ‘death by a thousand no comments’, the silence at this point is deafening,” a source close to Prince Harry and Meghan told The Telegraph, as they urged the couple to defend their relatives.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Harry and Meghan agreed Spotify deal ‘because they needed serious money’

Saturday 2 December 2023 07:00 , Jane Dalton

Recap: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed their lucrative, yet ultimately ill-fated, Spotify deal because they “needed serious money” after quitting the royal family, Omid Scobie claimed:

Omid Scobie: Harry and Meghan agreed Spotify deal because they ‘needed serious money’

Kate Middleton ‘took elocution lessons’, author says

Saturday 2 December 2023 06:30 , Jane Dalton

Reminder: The Princess of Wales has taken elocution lessons and now sounds more posh than her husband, Omid Scobie claimed:

Kate ‘took elocution lessons and now sounds more posh than William’ royal author says

Reminder: How the royal ‘racism' row unfolded

Saturday 2 December 2023 06:00 , Jane Dalton

The Independent recaps the twists and turns of this very modern royal row, starting in 2016:

How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded

Rishi Sunak praises the King and avoids racism controversy at Cop28

Saturday 2 December 2023 05:30 , Shweta Sharma

Rishi Sunak refrained from commenting on a royal controversy surrounding allegations of racism while commending the King for his role in international climate talks.

Asked about the controversy as he flew to Dubai for the Cop28 climate talks, Mr Sunak told reporters: “By longstanding and appropriate convention it wouldn’t be right for me to talk about the royal family in any way shape or form.”

He praised the climate-conscious King and highlighted the UK’s leadership at the climate summit.“I’m delighted that he’s going to be at Cop tomorrow, he’s giving a call to arms in the opening statement,” Mr Sunak said.

“It speaks volumes about our type of leadership as a country that we’ve got our head of state there, delivering a call to arms in the opening statement which speaks volumes about the respect that he’s got on this issue around the world.

“We’ve got the head of government there in me, and we’ve got our chief diplomat there in the Foreign Secretary. There are very few countries that will be able to say what I’ve just said.

“So that speaks again to our leadership on this issue and particularly His Majesty’s longstanding track record championing this issue and I’m delighted that he’s going to be delivering this very important statement tomorrow.”

Opinion: People can be unthinking, Meghan

Saturday 2 December 2023 05:00 , Jane Dalton

A guest at my son’s christening asked whether he was the milkman’s, writes Angelina Villa-Clarke:

People are unthinking – a guest at my son’s christening asked if he was the milkman’s

Monarchy has suffered ‘long-lasting reputational damage’

Saturday 2 December 2023 04:12 , Shweta Sharma

The monarchy has suffered “long-lasting reputational damage” and it is going to affect the whole family as well as the institutions, a royal commentator has said.

Joe Little of Majesty magazine said that the doubts are enough to cause damage to the royal family and monarchy as a whole due to the racism row.

“The allegations, true or untrue, will clearly put doubt in the minds of people who are aware of the individuals who have been named. That can’t be helpful in any shape or form.

“But mud sticks, once the shadow of doubt is there, it never really goes away, and it’s got to impact not only on the individuals but also the institution as a whole - it’s a long-lasting reputational damage,” he said.

Recap: Scobie criticises King and Prince for ‘failing to contact Harry’ after car chase

Saturday 2 December 2023 04:00 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie singled out King Charles III and the Prince of Wales after it appeared that “not one member” of the royal family contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex following their “near-catastrophic” car chase through New York City earlier this year:

Omid Scobie criticises Charles and William for ‘not contacting Harry’ after car chase

Harry and Meghan called to break their ‘deafening’ silence - report

Saturday 2 December 2023 03:55 , Shweta Sharma

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been urged to defend King Charles and Princess Camilla, sources close to the family said, amid a racism row.

A source close to the royal family has called on the Sussexes to speak out and defend their relatives as their silence is “deafening”, according to The Telegraph.

“For the couple that talked about ‘death by a thousand no comments’, the silence at this point is deafening,” the source said.

Another individual characterised the choice to refrain from addressing the allegations as “interesting”, particularly considering that the Sussexes had previously lodged multiple complaints about lacking defense against unfavourable media coverage during their time at the palace.

It comes as public figures are pressuring the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to speak out as the pair have remained silent over accusations that the King and the Queen raised concerns about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan’s son, Archie, before he was born.

King’s five-point plan as he urges trillions of dollars to go to tackle climate crisis

Saturday 2 December 2023 02:55 , Jane Dalton

King Charles has set out an action plan for tackling the climate crisis based on five key suggestions at Cop28, saying up to five trillion dollars will be needed each year:

Charles’s five-point plan as he urges trillions of dollars to tackle climate crisis

King animated talking to Sunak

Saturday 2 December 2023 01:35 , Jane Dalton

The King looked animated when speaking to PM Rishi Sunak at the Dubai climate talks, where he set out an action plan for tackling the climate crisis.

 (PA)
(PA)

Analysis: Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade?

Saturday 2 December 2023 00:15 , Jane Dalton

Omid Scobie’s hit piece against the royal family has distracted attention from the effort to fight climate change, writes Sean O’Grady:

Charles should be King of Cop, but has Harry rained on his parade? | Sean O’Grady

10 explosive claims from Endgame

Friday 1 December 2023 23:15 , Jane Dalton

These are some of the biggest alleged revelations from Endgame:

10 explosive claims from Omid Scobie’s scathing new book Endgame

Meghan source denies leaking names to Scobie

Friday 1 December 2023 22:30 , Jane Dalton

Sources close to the Duchess of Sussex, who allegedly wrote in letters to King Charles the names of the two family members she accused of ‘racist’ comments, have insisted that she ‘never intended them to be publicly identified’ and that they were ‘not leaked to Mr Scobie by anyone in her camp’, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Young William and Kate share a kiss in The Crown part two

Friday 1 December 2023 22:00 , Jane Dalton

A young Prince William and Kate Middleton are seen leaning in for a kiss in the trailer for part two of the sixth series of The Crown.

The second half of the hit royal drama’s final season, which will be released on December 14, explores a number of historical events, including the death of Princess Margaret and the Queen’s golden jubilee.

King to consult advisers on family’s next step

Friday 1 December 2023 21:31 , Jane Dalton

The King is taking the furore over the Omid Scobie book “very seriously” and will consult senior advisers next week on the family’s next step, it’s been reported.

This includes the possibility of legal action, according to MailOnline.

William competing with King for control, Scobie claims

Friday 1 December 2023 20:50 , Jane Dalton

The Prince of Wales is competing with his father for control of the royal family, author Omid Scobie has claimed in his new, book:

William desperately competing with Charles to run royal family, claims Scobie book

Charles dons Greek flag tie in meeting with Sunak

Friday 1 December 2023 19:00 , Katy Clifton

Meanwhile in Dubai, the King has worn a tie with a Greek flag motif for a meeting with prime minister Rishi Sunak - just days after the politician snubbed his Greek counterpart in a row over the Parthenon Sculptures.

Charles chatted to Mr Sunak during the opening day of Cop28, the UN Climate Change summit being staged in Dubai, sporting the neckwear decorated with the blue and white flag.

The prime minister sparked a diplomatic row by controversially cancelling a planned meeting in London on Tuesday with Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The decision came after Mr Mitsotakis used an interview ahead of the talks to push for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

Greece has long demanded the return of the historic works, which were removed by Lord Elgin from occupied Athens in the early 19th century when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

The King has close ties to Greece through his father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was born on the Greek island of Corfu, to parents Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, before becoming a naturalised British subject in 1947.

King Charles III (left) speaks with prime minister Rishi Sunak as they attend the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit (PA)
King Charles III (left) speaks with prime minister Rishi Sunak as they attend the opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit (PA)