King Charles has issued a strained four-word response amid the Endgame royal racism row.
The monarch, 75, is currently in Dubai to meet world leaders at the COP28 environment conference at the same time author Omid Scobie's new royal book is launched. During the trip, Charles was asked how he was doing and said: "I'm alright... just about". He started his 48-hour engagement by meeting President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu to talk about energy and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
President Tinubu shook hands with Charles and asked: “How are you?” The King took his seat and said: “I’m all right very much, just about. Having had a rather ancient birthday recently, recovering from the shock of that.” He was pictured smiling today as drama continues to swirl around his family back in the UK.
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A source told the Sun: “The King is here to carry on work and the main focus is work and that is what he is doing.” It comes as Dutch copies of Mr Scobie's book had to be pulled from shelves after naming two royals Meghan Markle was allegedly referring to during her Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021. The Mirror has chosen not to publish the names.
The Duchess of Sussex - who Mr Scobie is adamant he is not friends with - told the chat show host questions were raised about the colour of then-unborn son Archie's skin. The Royal Family is taking legal advice after the outspoken Piers Morgan read out the names on TalkTV last night, adding that he does not believe "any racist comments were ever made by any of the Royal Family".
Royal sources revealed “utter dismay” at the heart of the monarchy after the names were plastered across social media, trending on X for hours yesterday. Buckingham Palace is understood to be “considering all options”, including legal action. Mr Scobie, who is due to give his first UK interview today on ITV’s This Morning, has denied including the names, insisting he was not responsible for translated passages in foreign publications.
The author, often referred to as “Meghan’s pal”, due to their relationship before the release of his book Finding Freedom about Harry and Meghan’s departure from The Firm, said he knew the names, but legal restrictions in the UK barred him from publishing them.
Mr Scobie's book makes a series of claims about the royals and asserts that the future of the royal family is "in a crisis". "That crisis being a lack of interest from young people, an apathy, a growing republican movement, questions over whether the family still uphold the morals and values of the crown that the Queen did such a great job of," Scobie told the Times.
Among the claims made in the book are that there is a rift between King Charles and Prince William, that Queen Camilla has "quietly thanked" Mr Morgan for "defending the Firm" and that a timid Princess Kate has to be encouraged to perform engagements. The TalkTV host, however, hit back on Tuesday saying he has never even spoken to Camilla once.
When the Sussexes made their explosive allegations on Oprah, in an interview broadcast around the world, they set in train a public debate about who in the royal family might harbour such racially charged views. In a multicultural modern Britain such allegations against the monarchy generated debate on a matter of such public importance with Scobie's new book claiming to add to that public debate