Dutch translator on Omid Scobie's Endgame insists she was sent manuscript with two royals' names in race row
30 November 2023, 23:14 | Updated: 1 December 2023, 00:33
A Dutch translator who worked on Omid Scobie's Endgame has said she was sent a manuscript with the names of two royals at the centre of a race row.
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Thousands of copies in the Netherlands had to be pulped after copies were recalled when the mistake emerged.
Scobie, the royal author, insists he never sent out a book that revealed the identities of two royals he accuses of asking about Archie's skin colour.
Now, Saskia Peeters, an Arnhem-based translator, has said she simply used "what is in front of me".
"The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them," she told the Mail.
"I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English into Dutch."
She added: "I have been translating for many years. This is the first time anything like this has happened.
"This is not something I wanted to be involved in. This has been upsetting. I do not want to talk about it much more."
Scobie, 42, who is believed to be close to Meghan and Harry, has published a raft of major claims in Endgame - which in the Netherlands is called Final Battle.
Alongside allegations of a rift between William and the King, and claims about the King's branding of Harry as a "fool" over his Netflix documentary, is a repeat of Meghan's past accusation that a royal asked about Archie's skin colour.
She had previous told Oprah Winfrey that a royal spoke about it but refused to name them, saying it would be damaging to them.
Scobie has now said there is a second person in the royal household who echoed the remarks, and claims a letter from Meghan to the King names them.
Read more: Who is Omid Scobie and why is a royal accused of asking about Archie's skin colour?
But he had refused to identify them, citing libel laws. The realisation that Dutch copies had gone out with two names led to them being withdrawn.
"I knew this book would be controversial, whether it's about race or the Palace's relationship with the press. I never expected it to be presented fairly," Scobie told ITV's This Morning after the news emerged.
"I'm not their friend. I've never sat down with Meghan or shared information with her.
"I wrote and edited the English version of the book with one publisher. That then gets licensed to other publishers.
"I'm as frustrated as everyone else."
He added: "I never submitted a book that had those names in it."
The Palace has not responded to Scobie's claims, though royals are said to be "dismayed" at the book.
William and Kate were all smiles on Thursday night as they arrived at the Royal Variety Performance.
They issued no response to the book's claims.
Meanwhile, King Charles is in the UAE for UN climate talks at Cop28.
