After the despair Charles must have felt this week, has he reached the real endgame with his errant son?
Final insult
ARE Harry and Meghan happy now?
Yesterday a sorry saga that began with 2021’s Oprah Winfrey interview ended with Harry’s father being named by our state broadcaster as one of the royals at the centre of a racism storm.
This embarrassment occurred less than an hour before King Charles took to the world stage to open the COP28 summit, in Dubai — the culmination of a life’s passion for green issues.
Little wonder he looked strained.
The reason this row has flared again is the publication of Endgame, the poisonous new book by Meghan and Harry’s cheerleader-in-chief Omid Scobie.
Scobie claims a Dutch translation which named Charles, along with the Princess of Wales, as having questioned the colour of baby Archie’s skin was a mistake, not of his doing.
The book’s translators have cast huge doubt on his story, and say the names were included all along.
The bigger question, however, is who leaked the names to him in the first place — given they originate from a letter only from Meghan to Charles?
Allies of Meghan say not her — yet she’s already had to apologise to a court, for “forgetting” that she sanctioned a briefing to Scobie to help with his previous, equally malign book.
The truth is Meghan and Harry’s story is ever-changing.
And not a scrap of hard evidence has ever been produced to back up the original Oprah allegation, about which the late Queen witheringly said: “Recollections may vary.”
Meanwhile, the leading equalities campaigner Trevor Phillips says that even IF the Archie discussions did happen, it is a “nonsense story”.
He adds: “There is no family of colour anywhere in the world where that conversation doesn’t take place.”
Charles has endured a lot at the hands of his errant son — always maintaining the door is open to reconciliation.
But, after the despair he must have felt this week, it would be no surprise if we have, finally, reached the real Endgame.
Honey monster
THE more their poll lead over the Tories solidifies, the further Labour allows its mask to slip on Europe.
Cosying up to the European Union will be the party’s “number one priority” when it comes to foreign affairs, says spokesman David Lammy.
He wants formal meetings with the EU every few months — just like we used to have at the European Council in Brussels when we were still members.
At the same time, Labour will eye a “security partnership” with the EU — whose ambitions for a European army remain alive and well.
For its part, the EU says it “goofed” by letting Brexit ever happen — and wants us to rejoin in future years.
And its ambassadors say dealing with Sir Keir Starmer is “like honey on toast”.
For Brexiteers, it’s a stomach-churning thought.