The BBC has finally revealed the names of the two senior members of the British royal family who allegedly made racist remarks about the skin colour of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son Archie.
The public broadcaster confirmed on Friday that King Charles III and his daughter-in-law Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, were the ones who had “raised concerns” about “how dark” Archie’s skin might be before he was born. This was the shocking claim that Prince Harry and Markle made during their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
The BBC’s decision to name the royals came after other media outlets, including Sky News, ITV, The New York Times, and The Mirror, had already identified them, following a blunder by a Dutch publisher.
Xander, the publisher of journalist Omid Scobie’s book Endgame, which chronicles the events leading up to Prince Harry and Markle’s departure from the royal family, accidentally printed the names of the King and Middleton in a Dutch translation of the book. Scobie has denied ever naming the royals in writing and said he was “frustrated” by the error.
{{/usCountry}}Xander, the publisher of journalist Omid Scobie’s book Endgame, which chronicles the events leading up to Prince Harry and Markle’s departure from the royal family, accidentally printed the names of the King and Middleton in a Dutch translation of the book. Scobie has denied ever naming the royals in writing and said he was “frustrated” by the error.
{{/usCountry}}However, Xander has withdrawn the copies of the book from the market and launched an investigation.
Royals are still silent
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace have not commented on the matter, but insiders have revealed that the palace is “considering all options”, including legal action, over the allegations.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also remained silent on the issue.
The naming of the royals has sparked a fierce debate in the UK, with some defending the King and Middleton and others condemning them for their alleged racism.
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Piers Morgan, who quit his job as a host of Good Morning Britain after criticizing Markle, named the royals on his new show on TalkTV on Wednesday and said they had been “thrown under the bus” by Prince Harry and Markle.
UK security minister Tom Tugendhat also supported the King and Middleton and dismissed the allegations as “rumour, hearsay and an attempt to disparage somebody who’s served our country with enormous dignity and enormous grace for many, many years.”