Omid Scobie insists controversial Endgame was ‘written at lightning speed’ (despite announcing book in July last year) amid fallout from race row sparked by Dutch translation

Omid Scobie has insisted that Endgame was ‘written at lighting’ speed – despite the author having first promoted his controversial book about the Royal Family more than a year before it was published.

Scobie has come under fire after a Dutch translation of the book appeared to accuse King Charles and the Princess of Wales of racism after Meghan Markle claimed that ‘concerns’ had been raised about the skin colour of her son Archie in her bombshell Oprah interview in 2021.

MailOnline last week revealed how a Dutch translator insisted that she had been sent a manuscript which named the two senior royals. The Times later reported that Scobie’s British publisher had sent a draft copy to the Dutch translator which contained the names.

Scobie has now insisted that he wrote his book ‘at lighting speed’ – despite first announcing in July last year that he was ‘working on a brand new book’ about the Royal Family. Several months later, in December last year, he announced the books’ title, Endgame.

It comes after the Royal Family last night put on a united front amid the fallout from Scobie’s race row by attending the Buckingham Palace Christmas Diplomatic Reception.

The King is expected to consult with his son Prince William this week to discuss the controversy, with Palace officials understood to be ‘considering all options’ including legal action.

The Sussexes have not commented publicly on the row, but a source close to Meghan denied leaking the names to Scobie.

Scobie has refused to apologise to Charles and Kate for the embarrassing mishap which resulted in the explosive book being hooked from the shelves in the Netherlands.  

The under-fire author has shrugged off criticism claiming the names were ‘known for a long time’ and instead put the blame at the Dutch publisher’s door.

The author has said in interviews last week that he wondered why the Sussexes did not continue the discussion after Meghan accused an unnamed royal of expressing ‘concern’ about her future son Archie’s skin colour in her Oprah Winfrey chat in 2021.

He told how the row ‘disappeared out of sight’, despite the couple having a chance to say more about it in their Netflix documentary and Harry’s memoir Spare.

Scobie has been widely described as Meghan’s mouthpiece – but neither she nor Prince Harry has so far spoken up in defence of the royals over highly damaging accusations of racism. 

The fallout from the book could have serious consequences for Harry and Meghan as William is believed to ‘want action’.

Determinedly, the Royal Family has adopted a ‘business as usual’ stance, but the possibility of legal action remains. The final decision on the next step rests with Charles, who, according to sources, will not act hastily.

A Palace source has said: ‘Most right-thinking people would expect an apology – who wouldn’t?

‘Being falsely branded a racist in print is a serious allegation that must be treated seriously. All options are still on the table.’

Sources close to the Sussexes have attempted to distance the couple from the book. They say Meghan never intended the King or Princess of Wales to be publicly identified in the race row and say the letter was not leaked to Scobie by anyone close to her.

Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are facing a mounting backlash as they continue to maintain their silence on the royal racism claims.

Conservative MP Bob Seely is putting forward a Bill that could deny the Sussexes their Duke and Duchess titles in wake of the row.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday, he said that he felt compelled to act because of the ‘use of race to smear the Royal Family’ – and proposes to revive First World War laws that could pave the way to making the couple plain Mr and Mrs Sussex.

The Isle of Wight MP wants to adapt laws originally passed to deny enemy German nobles their British titles. 

Mr Seely said he had to act because of the attempt to use race to smear the Royal Family, which he called ‘poisonously insidious’.

He is applying for his Titles Deprivation 1917 Amendment Bill to be listed on the Commons’ Order Paper next week. It would resurrect the wartime powers by removing references to ‘enemies’ and ‘present war’. 

He has cleared the wording with Parliament’s Table Office, which oversees draft legislation. 

Similarly, it has emerged that the Sussexes will not be attending the Duke of Westminster’s wedding, despite Hugh Grosvenor being one of Harry’s closest friends and godfather to his son Archie.

Harry and Meghan’s absence from the guestlist for the high society nuptials at Chester Cathedral has attracted significant interest.

Grosvenor, who invited the Prince and Princess of Wales, was said to have wanted to invite the Sussexes too but decided against it to avoid clashes on his big day amid soaring tensions following the release of Omid Scobie’s new book.  

He was also believed to be mindful of a row that complicated his sister’s wedding at the same venue in 2004, when Camilla Parker Bowles was invited but told to sit away from Prince Charles to avoid the Queen seeing them together. 

But now a different account has emerged in Page Six, with an insider claiming that Harry had been sent a ‘save the date’ for the wedding only for the prince to phone Grosvenor and tell him it would be ‘too awkward’ for him and Meghan to attend. 

‘Harry actually got a ”save the date” card a few months ago but called Hugh and said it would be too awkward if he and Meghan Markle attended, so he made his apologies and Hugh understood,’ the Sussex insider was quoted as saying. 

MailOnline has approached both the Sussexes and Duke of Westminster for comment. 

Grosvenor, 32, is to marry Olivia Henson, 30, at Chester Cathedral on June 7. The King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince George, who is the Duke’s godson, are all invited. 

The Daily Mail revealed on Monday that – when putting together the guest list – Grosvenor was mindful of a royal row that complicated his sister’s ceremony at the same venue. 

‘Hugh knows how sensitive wedding invitations can be,’ a friend of the family said. 

Camilla Parker Bowles was invited to his sister Lady Tamara Grosvenor’s wedding but was told that she would not be permitted to sit with Prince Charles and would have to sit several rows back.

She would also have to arrive separately. This was because Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were due to attend the ceremony.

A Buckingham Palace courtier was quoted as saying at the time: ‘It may provoke comment on the day, but Her Majesty will also be attending and she is a stickler for protocol. 

‘A pew will be set aside for the members of the Royal Family attending, and it would be inappropriate for Mrs Parker Bowles to sit beside Prince Charles since she has no official standing. 

‘Even for Mrs Parker Bowles to arrive with the Prince at the event, in the presence of the Queen, would be to confer rights and status upon her that she simply does not have.’

Grosvenor is worried about anything ‘overshadowing’ the day, a friend of Harry and William said on Sunday.  

‘Hugh is one of very few close friends of William and Harry’s who has maintained strong bonds and a line of communication with both,’ the friend told the Times. 

‘He wishes they could put their heads together and patch things up, but realises it’s unlikely to happen before the wedding. He wanted to avoid anything overshadowing the day, especially for Olivia, and doesn’t want any awkwardness.’

A spokesman for the Duke said: ‘We are not in a position to comment on the guest list.’ Buckingham Palace also declined to comment.