For the last two centuries London’s oldest bookshop, Hatchards in Piccadilly, has been selling stories of royal scandals, disputes and disagreements.
The last book of the royal genre, Game over By journalist Omid Scobie At the center of a media frenzy for much of last week, it barely made a splash among shoppers this weekend. It was not a prominent display in the five-storey bookstore, which had royal permission. The single copy was set aside on order. At nearby Waterstones, about 14 copies were stacked on a table near the entrance, but there too, interest was limited.
A book by a journalist seen by many as a cheerleader for Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex has received some harsh criticism. Evening Standard He describes it as “an absolute Türkiye”. Washington Post He observed that “the royal tea poured here is not very hot.” But it has sparked a flurry of front-page headlines, thanks to the resurgence of a story about whether two members of the royal family discussed the potential skin color of Harry and Meghan’s first child.
Many shoppers at Hatchards had not heard of the book, and most were not considering buying it. Tom Manson, 40, a contract investigator from Clitheroe, Lancashire, said he considered the book’s coverage “obscene nonsense”.
He said the royal family was in an impossible position to discuss allegations about statements about the skin color of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s unborn son. “They’re in a no-win situation,” Manson said. “Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. “We will never know what people did or didn’t do, can we be bothered by that?”
The Dutch version of the book was pulled from shelves last week after it was named after King Charles and the Princess of Wales, who were involved in conversations about Prince Archie before his birth.
Lawyer Jo Lancaster, 36, who lives near Crawley in West Sussex, said: “There are far more important things going on in the royal family than who says what in a conversation. This is sensationalism.”
James Gourlay, 35, an investment consultant from south London, said he would not buy the book but felt it had gleaned its highlights from media coverage and social media. “You get enough pieces through social media to get the gist of it,” he said.
Gourlay said he supports Prince Harry and Meghan. He said: “I really like Prince Harry. I think he does incredibly well. They seem like decent people. I think [Meghan] entered a real and challenging environment.
27-year-old Martin Kurpiel and 24-year-old Dominika Dycewicz, who came from Wrocław, Poland and were among those who visited Buckingham Palace, said that seeing the palace was on their “must-do list”.
Kurpiel said: “It’s better to see it in person. “Photos do not convey his power.” The couple said they watched Netflix series Crown and would love to read a new book about the royal family.
Jill Raison, 27, an interior designer from Kingston, Ontario, and Kristen Lund, 27, from Victoria, British Columbia, said they were not aware of the book but were eager to read it. “We are so proud of Prince Harry and Meghan in Canada,” Raison said.
The pair, who went to Buckingham Palace, said the debate over statements containing racism or unconscious bias was “ridiculous”. Lund, who is of Chinese and Danish descent, said his relatives talked about what he would look like before he was born, but he did not find these words racist. “They were curious,” he said. “But you have to pay attention to how people perceive things.”
Observer At last he found a reader, or rather a listener. Amy Lund, 62, of Salt Lake City, Utah, said she bought the book on Audible and became a fan. She found it insightful and said it shed new light on the relationship between King Charles and Prince William. “I’m enjoying it very much,” she said.
Amy’s husband James Lund, 62, said the media’s coverage of Harry and Meghan was “brutal”. He said Meghan could help boost Britain’s reputation around the world.
“The British media acted unfairly,” he said. “He could be a great asset for the Commonwealth. “We’re surprised no one has embraced it.”
Most of the visitors at Buckingham Palace yesterday morning Observer I talked to someone who hadn’t heard of the new book. Bas Den Hartogh, a 27-year-old Dutchman who works in the gaming industry, said he sympathized with Harry and Meghan. He said: “I think it’s hard for them. “There’s a lot of pressure for a new member of the royal family and it’s a shame they had to move.”
Scobie had previously co-authored the book Finding Freedom, about Harry and Meghan. This was revealed in the magazine’s lawsuit against its publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited. mail on sunday, upon the publication of a personal letter in which the press secretary informed the authors. Scobie was keen to emphasize that his new book, described by publisher HarperCollins as an “in-depth investigation”, was about the wider royal family.
“I’m not a friend of ‘Meg’,” Scobie wrote on his old Twitter account, X. “The Sussexes have nothing to do with this.”
Catherine Mayer, author Charles: The Heart of a KingHe said he didn’t pay attention Game over It would have an immediate impact on the royal family. “I don’t think that would advance the story,” he said. “People who believe racism exists will see this as mere confirmation, and people who think it was a set-up by the Sussexes will see it as further evidence of their machinations.”