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

The Dutch version of Endgame was pulled from the shelves, the publisher dismissing the edition containing the names as a ‘translation error’

TV host Piers Morgan defended his decision to identify the two members of the royal family at the centre of the furore, saying it was “blindingly obvious” they were not guilty of racism.

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

• From Oprah to Endgame: How the Harry and Meghan royal racism row unfolded
• Harry and Meghan ‘excluded from Archie’s godfather’s wedding’ amid royal racism row
• Harry and Meghan called to break their ‘deafening’ silence - report
• Palace ‘considering all options’ on Endgame translation

[2 December 2023 04:00 · Jane Dalton]

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

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:

[2 December 2023 04:12 · Shweta Sharma]

Monarchy has suffered ‘long-lasting reputational damage’

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.

[2 December 2023 05:00 · Jane Dalton]

Opinion: People can be unthinking, Meghan

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

[2 December 2023 05:30 · Shweta Sharma]

Rishi Sunak praises the King and avoids racism controversy at Cop28

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.”

[2 December 2023 06:00 · Jane Dalton]

Reminder: How the royal ‘racism' row unfolded

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

[2 December 2023 06:30 · Jane Dalton]

Kate Middleton ‘took elocution lessons’, author says

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

[2 December 2023 07:00 · Jane Dalton]

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

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:

[2 December 2023 07:46 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

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

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)

[2 December 2023 08:37 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

[2 December 2023 09:52 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

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

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?