by For the past two centuries London’s oldest bookshop, Hatchards on Piccadilly, has sold tales of royal scandals, gambling and splits.
The latest book in the royal genre, End game by journalist Omid Scobie, who was in the media spotlight for most of last week, but was hardly creating a ripple among shoppers this weekend. It was not prominently displayed at the five-storey bookshop, which has royal warrants. The single copy was set aside in order. At the nearby Waterstones, about 14 copies were assembled on a table near the entrance, but there was also little interest.
A journalist seen by many as a cheerleader for Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex has received scathing reviews, with the Evening Standard describing it as “full turkey”. The IS Washington Post he noted that “the royal tea that is poured here is not exactly hot”. But the revamping of a story about whether two members of the royal family discussed the possible skin color of Harry and Meghan’s first child has sparked a wave of front page headlines.
At Hatchards, many shoppers had never heard of the book and most had no intention of buying it. Tom Manson, 40, a chartered surveyor from Clitheroe, Lancashire, said he considered the book cover to be “salacious nonsense”.
He said the royal family could be out of the row over allegations of comments about the skin color of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s unborn son. “They don’t have any wins,” Manson said. “They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. We’ll never know what people did or didn’t do, and can we really care?”
The Dutch version of the book was pulled from the shelves last week, after King Charles and the Princess of Wales were named for taking part in conversations about Prince Archie before he was born.
Jo Lancaster, 36, a lawyer, who lives near Crawley, West Sussex, said: “There are far more important things than who said in a conversation with the royal family. It’s sensationalism.”
James Gourlay, 35, an investment adviser from south London, said he would not buy the book, but felt he had gleaned its main points from media and social media coverage. “You get a lot of clips through social media to get the story,” he said.
Gourlay said he supported Prince Harry and Meghan. He said: “I love Prince Harry. I think he has done a very good job. They seem like decent people. I think [Meghan] real and she came into a tough environment.”
Martin Kurpiel, 27, and Dominika Dycewicz, 24, from Wroclaw, Poland, who were also among the sightseers at Buckingham Palace, said it was on their “bucket list” to see the Palace.
Kurpiel said: “It’s best to see it in person. The photos do not convey its power.” The couple said they were watching a Netflix series The Crown and he would like to read a new book on the royal family.
Jill Raison, 27, an interior designer from Kingston, Ontario, and Kristen Lund, 27, from Victoria, British Columbia, said they didn’t know about the book, but wanted to read it. Raison said: “In Canada, we are very proud of Prince Harry and Meghan.”
The pair, who were on their way to Buckingham Palace, said the row over the comments involving racism or unconscious bias was “ridiculous”. Lund, who is of Chinese and Danish heritage, said relatives talked about what she would look like before she was born, but she did not consider those comments to be racist. “They were curious,” she said. “But you have to be careful how people perceive things.”
The IS Observer eventually found one reader – or rather, listener. Amy Lund, 62, of Salt Lake City, Utah, said she bought the book on Audible and was a fan. She said she found it revealing, shedding new light on the relationship between King Charles and Prince William. “I’m really enjoying it,” she said.
Amy’s husband James Lund, 62, said the media had been “brutal” in their coverage of Harry and Meghan. He said Meghan could boost Britain’s reputation around the world.
“The British media were unfair,” he said. “She could be a great asset to the Commonwealth. We are very surprised that no one seems to have accepted that.”
At Buckingham Palace, yesterday morning most of the visitors Observer never heard of the new book. Bas Den Hartogh, 27, from the Netherlands, who works in the gaming industry, said he felt sympathy for Harry and Meghan. He said: “I think it was difficult for them. There’s a lot of pressure on a new member of the royal family and it’s sad that they’ve had to move away.”
Scobie previously co-authored the book Seeking Freedom, about Harry and Meghan. It came to light in a court case against Associated Newspapers Limited, the publisher of Conradh na Gaeilge Sunday Mail, after publishing a personal letter, that his press secretary informed the authors. Scobie was keen to highlight his new book, described by publisher HarperCollins as a “penetrating investigation”, about the royal family in general.
“I’m not ‘Meg’s friend,'” Scobie wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The Sussexes have nothing to do with it.”
Catherine Mayer, author Charles: Heart of a Kingsaid she did not consider End game that there would be no immediate impact on the royal family. “I don’t think this moves the story forward,” she said. “Those who believe there was racism will only see this as confirmation and those who think the Sussexes posted a post will see it as further evidence of their machinations.”
