Dutch Translation of 'Endgame' Pulled After “Error” Naming Royals Who Allegedly Discussed Archie’s Skin Color

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Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made accusations during their 2021 interview with Oprah that an unnamed family member raised “concerns and conversations” about the color of their unborn child’s skin, speculation has been rife about who. And the discussion has now been reignited with fervor as a translation of a new royal book has accidentally published two names in connection with the row.

The publishers of the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie’s new book, Endgame, has told media that they have withdrawn the book from sale. "An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified,” the BBC reported the publisher saying in a statement.

Members of the Dutch media have posted extracts of the book originally sold in their country on social media, pointing out that it mentions two names in connection with the alleged conversations that resulted in the rampant speculation over who was the “royal racist.”

During her interview with Oprah, Meghan did not use the word racist but said that when she was pregnant there were “concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born.” “There were several conversations about it, “she added as Oprah reacted in shock. Declining to name the individual, she said, “I think that would be very damaging to them.” At the time it was believed the accusations were against one individual but two names have been published in error in the Dutch translation of Endgame.

Following the Oprah interview, Buckingham Palace famously released a rare statement saying, "The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.” It added, “Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.” There has been no comment from the Palace on the fallout since Endgame went on sale.

The error has led to increased speculation not just over whether the names referenced in error are correct but also how such an error was possible. In a piece exploring how the mistake occurred, BBC royal correspondent Sean Coughlan wrote, “Although this blames the problem on the translation process, a comparison of the English and Dutch text doesn't suggest it's about getting some of the phrases or vocabulary mixed up. The line identifying the member of the Royal Family isn't in the English text, so it hasn't been mistranslated. It seems to have been added.”

Author Omid Scobie told Dutch TV program RTL Boulevard that there were “translation errors.” “There’s never been a version that I’ve produced that has names in it,” he said.

The book was released this week and has received mixed reviews. One of the criticism has been that it relies heavily on old material and falls short on new revelations.

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