Omid Scobie appeared to finally admit for the first time today that he had written the names of the so-called 'royal racists' into an 'early' version of Endgame.
Writing for the i-newspaperthe Sussexes' favorite royal reporter once again blamed a Dutch publisher for the scandal that has led Buckingham Palace to consider legal action.
But he did admit that translators in the Netherlands were sent an “early” manuscript that was never updated with the final version studied by lawyers. This week he also said that Endgame was written “at lightning speed.”
The Dutch translation of the book has been removed from the name Charles and Kate, because the royal family allegedly asked what color Prince Archie's skin could be.
Mr Scobie said: 'Unbeknownst to me at the time, early and unclear text was provided to the Dutch publisher so that they could begin the translation, with the understanding that their translation would be updated to reflect the final version of the book . I have officially registered.'
He added: “To be clear, the only publisher I worked with directly was the one covering the United States and Great Britain. I spent almost two months with independent British lawyers and in-house legal advisors to ensure that every detail in the finished book was legally watertight.”
Mid Scobie revealed today that the names of the royals in the Dutch version of Endgame were in an 'early' version of his book
The Dutch version of Endgame, which had to be removed from the bookstore and pulverized
The names of King Charles and the Princess of Wales only appeared in the Dutch version, with Mr Scobie swearing on his own life – and that of his family – that it was not a publicity stunt to sell more books.
The author has been described as Meghan's mouthpiece, but neither she nor Harry have yet spoken out in defense of the royal family over particularly damaging allegations of racism.
In today's column, titled 'Endgame backlash shows how unwilling we are to confront racism', Mr Scobie also called on King Charles to use his government to tackle the royal family's links to slavery.
He said: 'It chases away opportunities to meaningfully explore the royal institution's historical links to slavery (and the impact its legacy has had on the country), or to have serious conversations about the inability of the royal institution to protect its only family member of color sends a clear message that the issues simply don't matter'.
He added: “Rather than addressing everything properly as part of a genuine effort to modernize and better reflect the diverse country they serve, the Royal Family continues to cover up the issues, and more, under the carpet sweep.'
Scobie's controversial new book sold just under 6,500 copies in Britain.
Endgame, a sequel to Scobie's 2020 book Finding Freedom, dropped to 215th on Amazon's bestseller list after just a week on shelves.
It was widely pilloried, even by normally sympathetic media such as the New York Times, which described one chapter as “like a press release concocted by ChatGPT.”
Most reactions to the book focused on the Dutch-language edition, which included the names of two family members accused of “unconscious bias” by the Duchess of Sussex.
The original claim about 'racism' was made in the Sussexes' infamous Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021 (pictured)
The book alleged that Meghan had mentioned both the king and his daughter-in-law Kate in letters she wrote to him about the matter.
Yet even this controversy did little to contribute to its success: Nielsen estimated UK sales figures for the first five days at 6,448.
By contrast, Scobie's first book about the Sussexes, Finding Freedom, sold 31,000 copies in its first five days, while Harry's autobiography Spare sold 467,183 copies – making it the fastest-selling non-fiction book since records began in 1998.
The book is now in the table behind activity book Things To Do While You Poo On The Loo and children's titles such as Dormouse Has a Cold, the Beano Yearbook, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Stick Man.
Charles is expected to consult Prince William this week to discuss their response to the storm, after Buckingham Palace said it is “considering all options” when it comes to a response.
Neither Harry nor Meghan have commented publicly on the race, but a source close to the Duchess said “it was not leaked to Mr Scobie by anyone in her camp.”
Meghan Markle's Hollywood relaunch is 'not going to plan' and may already have been thrown into disarray as the royal race row sparked by Omid Scobie's new book could leave her 'too hot to handle' experts told MailOnline yesterday.
Meghan Markle, pictured at Variety's 'Power of Women' gala, where she teased 'exciting' new projects – but experts have said Omid Scobie's book could be bad news for her reputation and her deal with WME
The Duchess of Sussex recently signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) mega-agent Ari Emanuel, whose clients include Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, tennis star Serena Williams and other A-Listers.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline that Endgame could be as dangerous to her career as Spare – her husband's memoir – was to Prince Harry, claiming her reps in LA will fear she has 'tarnished her reputation and possibly the reputation of its agency'.
Mr Ede believes Meghan could soon become 'too hot to handle' after a Dutch version of the book put two members of Harry's family at the center of race allegations. He also claimed that the Sussexes' silence since the book came out makes Meghan appear 'guilty by association', despite vehement claims from Mr Scobie, an ally of the actress, and her friends that she had nothing to do with the book . .
Mr Ede said: 'The book written by Omid Scobie is potentially an incendiary weapon for Meghan. Just as Harry's own purpose for a book has proven for him, Scobie's new book has unfortunately lit a fire that many thought would go out.
'The problem for any major Hollywood agent is that they will find it difficult to navigate Meghan's career for fear that more will come out over time and that, with lawsuits looming against her sister and possibly her father, she has tarnished her reputation and could potentially tarnish the reputation of her agency.”
He added: “In the right hands, Meghan is a superpower – the most famous woman in the world – and on paper she could make millions for herself and anyone who represents her. But she proves too hot to handle and even though she hasn't said anything about the book, she is guilty by association and this is damaging to her and others as she plots her next career move.”
PR guru Mark Borkowski told MailOnline that Meghan's post-Spare relaunch is “clearly not going to plan.”
MailOnline contacted WME for comment.
The New York Post has reported claims that WME is 'shocked' at the potential damage Mr Scobie's book may have done to the Sussexes' rebranding.
An insider also told the Daily Mirror that WME is 'annoyed' by the 'never-ending scandal' surrounding the Sussexes.