Omid Scobie discusses names being published in Dutch book

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being urged to distance themselves from royal author Omid Scobie and denounce him – or risk fallout from his book “destroying” their future in America.

Meghan Markle’s new Hollywood handlers and image-makers were last night said to be “horrified and exasperated” that the couple’s popularity is plummeting disastrously as a result of the reignited palace race row as well as the book Endgame’s cruel and scathing attacks on Princess Kate.

At the same time, an exclusive UK Sunday Express opinion poll reveals that 78 per cent of British people – more than three-quarters – believe Princess Kate is a better role model than Meghan Markle, with a mere 22 per cent voting for Meghan.

Writing in today’s paper, former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole backs the call for her and Prince Harry to immediately answer their critics, saying: “Harry must act. Only he can silence the racist storm engulfing the family.”

This week, King Charles will reportedly “consider all options,” potentially including legal action, after two senior royals – whose identities are not being disclosed by us – were named in a Dutch-language edition of Endgame.

Mr. Cole says: “Prince Harry should issue a statement making it clear that he does not accuse his relatives of racism. Now is the time for the Prince to clear up this highly damaging mess.

“Harry should also explain how correspondence between Meghan and the then Prince of Wales – now King – in which she complained about the attitude of other family members towards her, came to be relied on by Scobie to underpin the pernicious allegation of racism.”

Across the Atlantic, where Mr. Cole says there has so far been only “deafening silence” from the Sussex mansion in Montecito, California, a senior production source confirmed that Meghan’s new team at powerhouse Hollywood agency WME are “horrified and exasperated by a never-ending scandal” that threatens to “take a wrecking ball” to the couple’s future plans.

The source told the Express: “There are potential deals on the table for Meghan that could just as quickly vanish if this continues. Aside from the race row, even the American public is growing weary of mean-spirited and downright cruel attacks on the Princess Kate. Whether or not Meghan and Harry were the sources of these, people will simply assume they were because of their past connections with Mr. Scobie.

“Unless they immediately distance themselves from him and denounce his book as either untrue or reported out of context, then they must expect to be a part of the backlash against it.

“If they aren’t seen to distance themselves from him, a string of deals being negotiated for Meghan as well as their production company Archewell could all come undone at the drop of a hat.

“They’re in a very difficult situation and now they must figure out how to navigate their way out before any more damage is done. Their very future as anything like a Hollywood power couple absolutely depends on that.”

Omid Scobie, who is often referred to as “Meghan’s mouthpiece,” last week categorically insisted that neither she nor Harry briefed him on the content of Endgame.

But he did admit in an interview with London’s Evening Standard that “people around them” were prepared to tell-all about “the ins and outs” of their bitter disputes with the Royal Family.

Mr. Scobie added that he is “not close” to Meghan but has met the former Suits actress on a number of occasions, claiming: “If there’s ever been a private encounter with Meghan, I’ve spoken about it. But there’s enough people around them and in their orbit who know the ins and outs of things.”

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Mr. Scobie, 42, who has been enjoying the celebrity lifestyle himself in a luxury rented house in the Hollywood Hills while promoting his book for US publisher Harper Collins, is particularly vitriolic towards the Princess of Wales in his new book.

He appears to blame her for allegedly freezing Meghan out of the family, saying: “There was a coldness towards Meghan from the very early stages that I always found quite surprising.

“I always found it interesting that while Meghan was going through the toughest days of her life, and struggling with mental health issues, someone within the family who’s experienced that glare as a newcomer herself wasn’t able to turn around and help a family member. To me, I think that speaks a lot to someone’s character.”

In his book – to the bewilderment of royal reporters who had never heard the nickname before – he claims the Princess was widely known by the moniker “Katie Keen” for her eagerness to please palace officials.

By the end of last week, it emerged that Katie Keen is, in fact, a popular character in the cult American comic book series Archie of which, by coincidence, the Duchess of Sussex is a huge fan.

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During an episode of her short-lived Archetypes podcast last year, Meghan told guest actress Mindy Kaling: “I read a lot of Archie Comic books as a child. I always wanted this cookie-cutter, perfect life.”

Now, however, her and Harry’s lives have been thrown into turmoil again by Endgame, with their popularity plunging as a result. Two new opinion polls, by Newsweek and YouGov, are expected to reflect this decline early in the New Year.

Our poll, conducted on behalf of the Sunday Express by WeThink, asked 1,000 UK adults the simple question: Who do you think is the better role model – Catherine, Princess of Wales, or Meghan, Duchess of Sussex? An overwhelming majority of 78% voted for Kate, with just 22% preferring Meghan.

A string of royal experts are also demanding that Harry and Meghan immediately address issues in the book. Royal author Phil Dampier declared: “This whole situation is getting murkier by the day. The onus is now very much on Harry and Meghan.

“They can’t have it both ways and, if they are not behind this book and don’t believe their royal relatives are racist, they should come out and say so. Their silence speaks volumes and I can’t see any reconciliations any time soon.”

Investigative journalist and fellow royal author Tom Bower added: “Scobie has reopened a vicious proxy war against the Royal Family by coyly revealing the names of the alleged racists. His allegations are not only grossly untrue and unfair, but also ridiculous.”

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