Meghan and Kate ‘never had a chance to get that close’ and ‘haven’t had a proper conversation in years’, Omid Scobie claims as fallout from his controversial book Endgame continue

Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton ‘haven’t had a proper conversation in a number of years, Omid Scobie claims. 

The Sussexes’ favoured journalist took another swipe at the Princess of Wales for the mental health ambassador being distant when the Duchess of Sussex was struggling with suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy with Archie.  

The under-fire Endgame author blamed Prince Harry’s wavering relationship with his brother William, as mentioned in the Duke of Sussex’s memoir Spare, for Meghan and Kate not having the chance to get that close.

The latest comments come as the fallout from his controversial 400-page tome continues after King Charles and Kate were named in the Dutch version as the senior royals who allegedly discussed Archie’s skin colour before he was born. 

Buckingham Palace officials will meet with aides to Prince William this week for critical talks in how to deal with the fallout from accusations of racism, with legal action said to be on the table. 

In a sit-down interview with Associated Press, Mr Scobie, 42, said there is a distance between Kate and Meghan that remains to this day. 

‘Meghan and Kate’s friendship or relationship or lack of, it’s largely down to even in those early days, and we didn’t know it at the time, but we have since learned due to Harry’s memoir, because William and his brother were just not close, Meghan and Kate almost never had a chance to get that close,’ he said. 

‘The Palace was certainly never shy about telling all of the journalists in the press pack, including myself, that “these are two very different women. They’re not going to have much in common, but at least there’s respect there”. 

‘But I think as we’ve seen, as the years have gone by, that it’s even been questionable whether that respect is even there.’ 

Meghan tearfully opened up in a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 about having ‘suicidal thoughts’ when she was five months pregnant due to the stress of royal life. 

Mr Scobie has already taken a swipe at Kate in his book calling her ‘cold’ and ‘a Stepford wife’ and appeared to lay into her again for how she was during Meghan’s darkest days. 

‘There would be moments where Meghan, whether she was liked or not, was at her lowest points, as in her time as a working royal, she’s spoken about those suicidal ideations that she’s had during her pregnancy,’ he said. 

‘For Kate, who is a mental health ambassador who champions the early years sector, including focus on pregnancy right up until the age of five, you would think that that might have struck a chord with her. 

‘But there seems to be just this distance that has continued between the two and does to this day. I mean, as far as I know, they haven’t had a proper conversation in a number of years.’ 

Mr Scobie has been widely described as Meghan’s mouthpiece – but neither she nor Harry has so far spoken up in defence of the royals over highly damaging accusations of racism.

The Dutch translation of Endgame has been pulled after it named Charles and Kate as the royals alleged to have asked what colour Prince Archie’s skin might be before he was born.

Mr Scobie has refused to apologise to Charles and Kate for the embarrassing mishap and shrugged off criticism claiming the names were ‘known for a long time’ while putting the blame at the Dutch publisher’s door declaring: ‘I never submitted a book that had those names in it.’  

Yet Dutch translator Saskia Peeters insisted Charles and Kate’s names were in the book.

Speaking to MailOnline from her home in Arnhem on Thursday, she said: ‘As a translator, I translate what is in front of me.

‘The names of the royals were there in black and white. I did not add them. I just did what I was paid to do and that was translate the book from English into Dutch.’

Mr Scobie’s initially blamed a ‘translation error’. Anke Roelen, managing director of the publisher Xander, said a rectified edition of the book would be back on shelves on December 8 and simply blamed ‘an error’ for it being pulled. 

In a further blow to Mr Scobie, Endgame has already dropped out of Amazon’s top 100 bestsellers list despite the blitz of publicity in the media.

Mr Scobie has heavily plugged his new book with TV interviews conducted for the BBC and ITV in the UK and ABC in the US.

The author has also given interviews to publications including The Times, Evening Standard, Independent, Tatler, People, Elle.com and Paris March. 

The title currently sits 139th in the UK bestseller book charts based on Amazon sales, which are updated hourly to reflect recent and historical sales of every item.

Endgame has fallen more than 100 places in three days having been at 14th as recently as last Friday. On the day of its release last Tuesday it was ranked 77th.

The book is now in the table behind children’s titles such as the Beano annual, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Stick Man; biographies from Britney Spears, Matthew Perry and Chris Kamara; and cookbooks from Mary Berry, Rick Stein and Tom Kerridge.

In the same Amazon list in the US, Endgame was at 235th today – below The Very Hungry Caterpillar; the Jeopardy! 2024 calendar; and a Paw Patrol sound book.

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