Questions of racism within the royal family were reignited after King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were reportedly named in the Dutch version of Omid Scobie’s book "Endgame" as the two people who discussed Prince Archie's skin color, according to the British media.
The alleged discussions are in reference to claims made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. At the time, Charles held the title of Prince of Wales and Catherine, formerly Kate Middleton, was the Duchess of Cambridge.
Meghan told Winfrey that in the months leading up to Archie's birth, members of the royal family had expressed "concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he is born." She did not reveal names during the interview, and the unknown individuals were dubbed "the royal racists" in the British press and online.
In the English version of Scobie’s book, he alleged that there had been two people involved in the discussions, according to the BBC. He said he knew their identities but could not name them because of legal reasons, the news outlet reported.
Scobie said on BBC Two’s "Newsnight" that he does not know how the names ended up in the Dutch version and that there is a "full investigation" into how it happened. NBC News has not viewed the Dutch or the English copies of the book.
"I'm looking forward to finding out more about it because the English version of the book, the only one I know, the version that I signed off on, that is the book that is out there today," he said. "That's the book that has no names in it."
Buckingham Palace declined to comment Friday, but a royal source said "all options" are being considered.
During the interview with Winfrey, Meghan refused to name the royal family members said to be involved in the discussion, saying it would be very damaging to them. Harry also confirmed that he was questioned about his son's skin tone, but did not identify who made the remarks or when they were made.
In the couple’s Netflix docuseries, Harry said there was a “huge level of unconscious bias” in the royal family.
NBC News has not independently verified that such conversations took place. Shortly after the interview, Buckingham Palace released a statement and said that the issues the couple raised, particularly around race, were "concerning."
The palace said that the family was "saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan," while noting that "some recollections may vary" and the issues will "be addressed by the family privately."
Following the uproar over the book, the Dutch version, titled "Eindstrijd," was temporarily recalled for what publisher Xander Uitgever said was an "error" in the translation. A "rectified edition" would be back in bookstores Dec. 8, the publisher said.
