William, Kate ignore questions after press reports say princess was involved in alleged conversations about Harry’s baby

As the fallout continued from the publication of a new book about the British royal family, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, ignored questions about alleged details in the Dutch translation at an appearance in London on Thursday night.

The British press, including The Guardian and The Telegraph newspapers, is widely reporting that the disputed Dutch translation of “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival” names King Charles III and the former Kate Middleton as the ones who made the alleged comments about the skin color of Prince Harry and Meghan's unborn son. Broadcaster Piers Morgan also named them on his TV show on Nov. 29.

NBC News has not independently verified that such a conversation took place and has not reviewed a copy of the book’s Dutch edition. Buckingham Palace declined comment to NBC News on Dec. 1.

William and Kate did not respond to questions from reporters as they exited the Royal Variety Performance on Nov. 30 at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The new book has reignited the controversy that began when the former Meghan Markle, who is biracial, told Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 interview that comments were made by the royal family speculating about the skin color of her unborn son. Meghan, who was pregnant with Archie at the time, did not name the family members.

“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning," Queen Elizabeth II said at the time. "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."

Author Omid Scobie, who has said he had access to letters sent and received by the Duchess of Sussex, has repeatedly said in interviews that he never submitted a version of the book that named Charles and Kate as the ones who made the alleged comments. He told the BBC "a full investigation" is underway into how the names were allegedly included in the Dutch translation.

"All of this is frustrating because it feeds into something that couldn’t be further from the truth," Scobie told the BBC. "And also, quite frankly, I’ve always felt the names weren’t needed to have this discussion."

The Dutch translator who worked on the book denied she made any additions to the manuscript in an interview with London's Daily Mail.

"As a translator, I translate what is in front of me," Saskia Peeters said. "The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them."

NBC News has reached out to Peeters for comment.

The book has been removed from the shelves in the Netherlands by the publisher, which said "an error" is currently being fixed.

“An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified,” Dutch publisher Xander Uitgevers told NBC News in a statement about removing the book from sale.

Here's what else to know about the book.

What does the book say about Prince Harry and Prince William's relationship?

Scobie details allegations that William leaked stories about Harry to the press. He also calls the breakdown of their relationship “irreparable” in the book.

The rift between the brothers has been well-documented, including Harry alleging in his memoir, "Spare," that William physically attacked him in 2019 during an argument about Meghan.

The book also portrays the Princess of Wales as "cold," and King Charles III as "pampered."

“When it comes to who he sympathizes with, absolutely it’s Harry and Meghan,” Nicholl, the VF royal correspondent, said of Scobie.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com