• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021
• A new book titled “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival” provides new details on the interview
• The book also details tension between Prince William and his father, King Charles III, as well as the palace’s interactions with the media.
Here is what happened:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 brought many revelations, including that the royal family had discussed the skin color of Meghan and Harry’s son prior to his 2019 birth. A new book titled “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival” by Omid Scobie, provides additional insight into the incident and how Buckingham Palace responded. Reports stated that Prince Charles wrote to Meghan expressing sadness over the family’s division and his regret about their decision to share so much publicly. The book offers details about his alleged correspondence.
After the interview, Buckingham Palace released a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, stating that the issues raised, particularly regarding race, were concerning and would be addressed privately. A person close to Meghan responded to reports about the alleged letter exchange, stating, “The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago.”
Omid Scobie’s “Endgame” details the tension and competition between Prince William and King Charles III, with William already burnishing his future kingly credentials separate from his father. The book also indicates that Prince Charles allegedly hosted royal reporters for a dinner and stay in Scotland in 2020, while the palace courted favor with influential British media outlets after Meghan and Harry’s announcement to step down as senior royals.
Furthermore, “Endgame” provides insight into how Prince Charles responded to the Oprah interview, stating that he expressed sadness over the division in the family to Meghan in a written correspondence and sought to clarify that he did not believe the comments about skin color were made with “ill will” or “casual prejudice.” Meghan countered that it was an example of “lingering unconscious bias and ignorance.” While there was a “respectful back-and-forth,” it is likely that Charles and Meghan did not regard the incident the same way. The royal family also stated that the raised issues, particularly regarding race, would be addressed privately.
