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Omid Scobie's reply when asked by BBC if 'Royal racists' name scandal was PR stunt raises eyebrows as backlash grows

The author, who claimed to be 'proud' of his book, lamented that the work had been 'overshadowed'

LONDON, ENGLAND: In a recent BBC interview with Victoria Derbyshire, Meghan Markle's PR peddler Omid Scobie staunchly refused to apologize to the two royals implicated in the Dutch version of his book, alleging concerns over Prince Archie's skin color.

 Instead of extending an apology, Scobie asserted, "It's not for me to apologize because I still want to know what's happened." The 42-year-old author, who claimed to be "extremely proud" of his book 'Endgame', lamented that the work had been "completely overshadowed by an event that's caused me a lot of frustration."

The Dutch edition of Scobie's book explicitly named King Charles and Kate as the royals Meghan purportedly accused of having concerns about the potential darkness of Prince Archie's skin.

Denial and defense

In response to mounting accusations of orchestrating a publicity stunt, Scobie vehemently defended himself, stating, "On my life, on my family's life."

He added, "The book I wrote, the book I edited, the book I signed off on, did not have names in it. I'm as frustrated as everyone else."

Scobie, in the Newsnight interview, disclosed that a "full investigation" is underway into the events following his discovery of the situation on social media.

Insisting that his book had undergone legal vetting, he claimed that he was notified of a "translation error" by the Dutch publisher during a day of consecutive interviews.

"So I'm looking forward to finding out more about it because the English version of the book - the only one I know - the version I signed off on, that's the book that is out there today, that's the book that has no names in it," he said.

"I make it very clear because ultimately to write the names it's a show and tell situation, there's no ability to show so there was never an attempt to name," he added.

Members of the Royal Family, amidst the controversy, continued with their official duties. King Charles attended Cop28 in Dubai, while Prince William and Kate dazzled at the Royal Variety Performance in London. Palace sources conveyed that the entire Royal Family is united in outrage over what they consider an "outrageous smear."

Denying any racist remarks by the individuals named, sources told The Mirror, "There is absolute and unequivocal denial that anything said by the two persons named publicly was said, or even could be considered to be said, in a racist manner."

Dutch translators Saskia Peeters and Nellie Keukelaar-van Rijsbergern insisted that the names were present in the manuscript they received, contradicting Scobie's claims.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Peeters stated, "As a translator, I translate what is in front of me. The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them." Keukelaar-van Rijsbergern, speaking to The Sun, emphasized, "We are professionals and we've done this for years, both of us. It's unfair."

Social media reactions

Many on social media agreed with the translators as they expressed outrage.

"The Dutch translator can just produce the text she was given and his lies are exposed. He clearly did name names at some point. The alternative scenario is a Dutch translator randomly adding text to his book. Good that it’s out there and the game is up for H&M," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"I’m going to throw up, the narcissism is off the charts," another wrote.

"That guilty smile he tries to suppress as he swears on his family's life!" someone else added.

"Scobie is a manipulative victim-player, just like his pals - Harry and Meghan. The problem with lying is, you will ALWAYS get caught out," another offered.