The BBC has joined other media outlets in naming senior members of the British royal family accused of making comments about the skin color of Archie, the son of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Piers Morgan named King Charles III and Kate Middleton on his TalkTV show on Wednesday after the Dutch version of journalist Omid Scobie’s book, game overHe mistakenly revealed the identity of members of the royal family.
The book claimed that Prince Harry and Markle were referring to the royal when they told Oprah Winfrey in 2021 that a member of the royal family had “raised concerns” about “how dark” Archie’s skin was. Scobie’s book claims that a second royal, now known as the Princess of Wales, also discussed the matter.
The names were said to have been printed in error and Scobie denied identifying the individuals in writing. Dutch publisher Zander investigates and pulls copies of the Scooby books from retailers.
The BBC had resisted naming King and Middleton, but changed its position on Friday during the programme’s broadcast. todayits flagship Radio 4 news programme.
Presenter Nick Robinson said: “To be clear, I told listeners about an hour ago that the BBC was not naming them. We are now naming the King and Princess of Wales as the focus of those allegations.”
A BBC insider told Deadline that directors acknowledged that “the dam had broken” in the story and gave Robinson a pass to identify the royals at the heart of the racial row. Sky News and ITV also identified the duo, as well as US publications, e.g New York times.
British newspapers including woman And The Daily Telegraph The royals were named on the front pages on Friday, as the story gained traction in the UK.
Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment. Sources told Buckingham Palace on Thursday that they were “considering all options”, including a possible lawsuit, over the row. Prince Harry and Markle did not respond to a request for comment.
Scobie denied identifying members of the royal family. He told ITV This morning“I’ve never submitted a book with their names on it, so I can only speak for my version. I’m obviously disappointed.”
“Some individuals have written some rumors and chatter that have made various claims about His Majesty, which, frankly, are completely unsubstantiated,” British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat told TalkTV on Thursday.
He added, “I see this as just hearsay and hearsay and an attempt to disparage someone who has served our country with tremendous dignity and tremendous grace for many years.”
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