Royal members accused of bringing up Harry and Meghan's baby colour: Buckingham 'considering all options'

Europe 1 with AFP 16:01 p.m., December 01, 2023

Buckingham Palace is considering "all options" on Thursday after a British presenter revealed the names of the two royals named as having participated in conversations about Harry and Meghan's son's skin color, according to a source at Buckingham Palace.

Presenter Piers Morgan gave the identities of the two members of the royal family whose names were mistakenly published in the Dutch version of a new book about the Windsors, which has been withdrawn from sale by the publisher, on Wednesday night on British channel Talk TV. In a lengthy monologue, the journalist accustomed to controversy and often critical of Harry and Meghan, gave his point of view, believing that the British public, which participates in the financing of the royal family, has a right to know what has been brought to the attention of readers in the Netherlands. It also held that the disclosure of these names was intended to allow for "open debate". In response, a source at Buckingham Palace told AFP: "We are considering all options."

'Unconscious bias'

According to the Daily Telegraph, the palace is considering legal action. In a landmark interview with Oprah Winfrey a year after their sensational departure for the United States in 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed that a member of the royal family had wondered, when Meghan was pregnant, about the color of their son Archie's skin. They said it was neither the Queen nor her husband Prince Philip.

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The interview reignited a heated debate in the U.K. about racism in the country, questioning the tabloids' attitude toward Meghan, who is mixed-race, prompting Buckingham Palace to react on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. "Even though the memories may vary, they are taken very seriously," the monarch said at the time, adding that she intended to deal with them "in private." Earlier this year, Prince Harry denied making accusations of racism, but spoke of "unconscious bias."

The Dutch translator claims that the names were in the manuscript

In his book, Omid Scobie, who is reputed to be close to Harry and Meghan, talks about two people involved in conversations about Archie's skin color, but he said their names were not in the original version of his text.

According to the Daily Mail's website, the Dutch translator who worked on the book, Saskia Peeters, claimed that the names were in the manuscript sent to her. "As a translator, I translate what I have in front of me," she said, according to MailOnline. "The names of the royals were there in black and white. I didn't add them," she continued, "I just did what I was paid to do," "translate the book from English to Dutch."