Branded as Meghan Markle’s mouthpiece after his book about the Sussexes, Omid Scobie has ventured into fiction with his debut novel ‘Royal Spin’, which he describes as a real mix of things that are true and not true.
The journalist, 44, collaborated with young writer Robin Benway on the romantic comedy, which follows a vivacious American publicist who falls for a British duke, sparking interest among royal fans as some speculated about real-life inspirations.
However, the author insisted his forthcoming book is a ‘separate universe’ despite the Sussex parallels.
The royal biographer kept fans guessing as he drew parallels between the story and Harry and Meghan’s real-life romance. He has pushed back against such comparisons.
Talking further Good morning Americathe Final game and To find freedom The writer stated, “We really wanted to make sure this felt like a completely separate universe,” adding, “We didn’t want anyone to be like, ‘It’s Harry and Meghan! It’s the Andrew situation.’
He added: “We wanted it to live in its own space. It’s a real mix of things that are true and not true.”
The author’s comments left many unimpressed, as commentators have identified several apparent real-world parallels in the tale.
Protagonist Lauren Morgan’s troubled relationship with her father has been highlighted by royal commentators who see it as a thinly veiled nod to Meghan’s estrangement from Thomas Markle.
The fictional heroine’s aversion to “pantyhose”, an American term for pantyhose, also echoes the Duchess of Sussex’s own remarks to Bloomberg last year, when she described being required to wear nude pantyhose as a working royal as feeling “a little bit inauthentic”.
Another story involves a royal consort displaying “a highly offensive racist vase” at an NHS lunch for Caribbean workers.
This has been widely interpreted as a reference to Princess Michael of Kent, who apologized in 2017 for wearing a blackamoor brooch to Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas banquet while Meghan was in attendance.
In one passage, Jasper tells Lauren, “I know how this works. They bring you in, build you up, and then offer you up as a sacrifice when someone higher up makes a mistake. That’s the playbook that works, and they use it every single time.”
Scobie is a British journalist who spent 12 years covering the royal beat for big business. Now based in Los Angeles, Scobie is co-creator, writer and executive producer on the TV adaptation Royal Spin.
Robin Benway is a National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of nine novels that have been published in more than 25 countries.
