The British royal family is once again facing allegations of racism after a new book reignited a controversy that originally stemmed from comments made by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a 2021 interview. The latest developments have put King Charles III and Kate, Princess of Wales, in the spotlight and threatened to undermine the monarchy’s efforts to move past the tumultuous events of the last few years.
The origins of the controversy trace back to March 2021, when Harry and Meghan sat down for a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey shortly after stepping back from royal duties. During the interview, Meghan alleged that there had been “concerns and conversations” within the royal family about how dark their son Archie’s skin might be prior to his birth. Harry later clarified that neither Queen Elizabeth II nor Prince Philip had made the remarks, but the couple declined to identify exactly who had raised the issue.
Aa reported by Mirror,The claims sparked a fierce backlash and accusations of racism against the royal family, prompting Buckingham Palace to release a statement noting that “recollections may vary” while emphasizing that the issues would be addressed privately. Prince William also stated publicly that the royals were “very much not a racist family.”
The controversy had largely died down in recent months as the royals focused on the transition to the reign of King Charles III following the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022. However, the racism row has now been revived by a new book from journalist Omid Scobie titled “Endgame: The Battle for the British Monarchy and the Clash That Will Define It.”
Initially published in English without naming the royals involved, the Dutch translation of Scobie’s book explicitly identified both Charles and Kate as being part of the conversations about Archie’s skin color prior to his birth. The publisher has blamed the addition of the names on a “translation error” and removed the passages from the Dutch edition, but the damage was already done.
Buckingham Palace reacted with fury over the allegations, calling them “unfounded” and noting they had been refuted multiple times in the past. Sources described palace officials as being “incredibly frustrated” and noted “lessons should be learned” from the saga. Harry and Meghan have not commented directly on the latest developments, but their spokesperson reiterated that they had been truthful in their remarks.
The fresh accusations come at a difficult time for the royal family. Charles is still establishing himself as monarch, while William and Kate are stepping up into more senior roles. Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan continue to keep their distance from the family since relocating to California.
Some experts believe Charles and Kate being named in the racism row could fuel tensions and overshadow the king’s ongoing efforts to modernize and streamline the monarchy. However, supporters of the royals argue the new allegations are unfounded and should hold little weight since the original claims were vague and anonymous.
The royal family is pushing forward with a show of unity and dedication to duty in response to the controversy. Charles, Camilla, William and Kate will all attend a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace this week in a demonstration of “business as usual.” Kate is also proceeding with her annual Christmas carol concert for charity, which royals including Sophie, Countess of Wessex will attend as a sign of solidarity.
As the royals seek to rise above the tumult, the revived racism row serves as a reminder of the challenges Charles faces during his reign. With Harry and Meghan no longer part of the working monarchy, the king has an opportunity to reshape the institution, but will also need to carefully manage relations with the Sussexes and perceptions of the crown. The ongoing saga illustrates how damaging vague, anonymous accusations can be, and why the palace is so wary of private family matters being aired publicly.
Ultimately, Charles and the royals will likely continue focusing on their official duties and service to the public while trying to avoid being distracted by the controversy. But the racism allegations, whether true or not, have left scars that will take time and effort to heal. The monarchy’s ability to maintain unity in the face of such accusations will be an important test as Charles guides the institution into a new era.
