Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, face accusations from royal commentators that they are employing their biographer, Omid Scobie, to disclose additional controversial information about the British royal family.
Scobie, the co-author of the Sussexes' 2020 biography "Finding Freedom," recently revealed plans to publish a new book entitled "Endgame." The upcoming work, according to Scobie, will delve into the triumphs, failures, and shameful aspects of the British monarchy.
In reaction to Scobie's announcement, two well-known royal authors and pundits, Lady Colin Campbell and Phil Dampier, aired their views on the potential impact of the book on the monarchy during a discussion with GB News anchor Dan Wootton. Wootton referred to Scobie as the Sussexes' "loyal spokesperson" and "mouthpiece."
In the interview, Dampier labeled the Sussexes as "cowardly," claiming they are utilizing Scobie to divulge additional sensitive information about the royal family, contradicting reports in May that the couple would refrain from further projects examining the inner workings of the monarchy. "I think that the monarchy will still be going strong for decades after [Scobie] is long forgotten," Dampier commented, "[Harry and Meghan] claim they don't know him...And if you believe that, you believe anything. And they're really using him ... to dish some more dirt."
In contrast, Campbell expressed her belief that any disclosures made by Scobie or the Sussexes would pose no threat to the monarchy. "Harry, Meghan, and [Scobie] have damaged themselves far more than they will damage the monarchy," she stated. "They're very eminently dismissible. That's my take on it."
However, Dampier differed in his assessment, cautioning that Scobie's forthcoming book could potentially be harmful, particularly if it reveals the identity of the individual who allegedly expressed concern about the skin color of Harry and Meghan's then-unborn son.
In their controversial 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Sussexes claimed that an unnamed royal family member had raised concerns about their son's skin color, sparking allegations of racism and a subsequent statement from Buckingham Palace addressing the issue.
Last month, Scobie, the editor-at-large at Harper's Bazaar and royal contributor to ABC News and "Good Morning America," testified in Prince Harry's phone hacking lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers. During the testimony, he refuted any personal connection or vested interest in aiding Prince Harry, as per the Daily Mail's report.
Despite the Sussexes' previous denial of any collaboration with Scobie and his co-author Carolyn Durand on "Finding Freedom," the authors indicated that they had communicated with the royal couple "when appropriate." Lawyers for Markle subsequently clarified that she had conversed with a friend known to be working with the authors due to concerns about potential misrepresentation of her strained relationship with her father, Thomas Markle.
