Kate Middleton, Prince William ‘planning their legacy amid ‘Endgame’
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen reveals how the Prince and Princess of Wales are choosing to put duty first following the publication of the newest bombshell book.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are choosing to keep calm and carry on after another bombshell book has rocked the House of Windsor.
Kate Middleton kept cool and collected as she had all eyes on her at a Buckingham Palace reception Tuesday. The mother of three wore Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara, a favorite of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. She completed the look with Greville Chandelier earrings, a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who received the jewels as a wedding present from her parents when she married Prince Philip in 1947.
The princess accompanied King Charles, Queen Camilla and her husband Prince William, as well as other members of the royal family.
The glitzy event took place shortly after Omid Scobie’s book "Endgame" reignited claims of racism within the palace.
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY’S ROYAL TITLES COULD BE STRIPPED BY UK LAWMAKER FOLLOWING BOMBSHELL BOOK
Princess Catherine at an evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace Dec. 5, 2023, in London. (Jonathan Brady)
"I think the great strength of the Princess of Wales — the new Princess of Wales — is that, like [Queen Elizabeth II], she knows what her job is," True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen told Fox News Digital.
"Her job is to support the Prince of Wales, Prince William," Bullen shared. "And she very rarely gives interviews. She very rarely makes it about her. She’s always keen to make sure that the prince is front and center. But make no mistake, she is a force to be reckoned with. She is very strong and very clear on what she wants to achieve."
Kate Middleton, left, with Queen Elizabeth ll in 2012. Britain's longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage)
Bullen is an award-winning documentarian who has been producing programs about the British royal family for 20 years. He has also worked closely with the king for about a decade. His streaming platform offers several documentaries that examine Middleton's journey as a future queen consort. Her husband, 41, is heir to the British throne.
The Princess of Wales wore Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara, a favorite of her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who wore it multiple times. (Jonathan Brady/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the festive evening, a dark cloud has loomed over the palace following the publication of "Endgame."
One of the controversial topics addressed in the new book by Scobie, who some say serves as an unofficial spokesman for Meghan Markle, are claims there were racist comments made by members of the royal family leading up to the birth of her son Prince Archie.
According to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a senior member of the royal family questioned how dark Archie's skin would be. In an interview with "Good Morning America," Scobie said it was two royals who raised questions about Archie’s skin tone, but U.K. laws prevented him from revealing their names in his book.
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Omid Scobie's new book, "Endgame," has reignited questions about alleged racism within the British royal family. (Henry Nicholls/AFP)
The Dutch version of the royal tell-all was recently pulled from shelves in Holland after reports surfaced claiming the copy identified the name of the alleged racist royal. Dutch royal journalist Rick Evers told ITV's "Good Morning Britain" the version he read gave a "very specific" name for the royal in question and was "a little bit vague" about a second royal who echoed the concerns.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, and William, Prince of Wales, arrive to attend the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London Nov. 30, 2023. The event took place two days after "Endgame" was published. (Daniel Leal/AFP)
The publisher previously noted that "Endgame" is based on conversations and interviews "with current and former palace staff, trusted friends of the royals and even family members themselves."
In 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California. At the time, they alleged that palace officials were insensitive to Markle’s mental health struggles as she attempted to navigate royal life. The couple also claimed that the duchess faced racist attitudes from the U.K. press, which contributed to their decision to leave the country.
In a candid interview given to Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan Markle alleged remarks regarding her son Prince Archie's skin color were made by the inner circle of the royal family. (Harpo Productions)
In 2021, the couple sat down for a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. During the tell-all, the former American actress revealed there had been "concerns and conversations about how dark [Archie's] skin might be when he's born."
"About how dark your baby is going to be?" said Winfrey, 69.
"Potentially, and what that would mean or look like," said Markle, 42.
Harry, 39, admitted being "shocked." He later clarified that the comments weren't made by his grandparents.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020. They live in California. (Andrew Milligan/WPA Pool)
Representatives for Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Archewell didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about Scobie’s book. However, Bullen said the royals at the palace will choose to prioritize duty.
"I’ve heard from people within [Kate Middleton and Prince William’s] household that it is very much a partnership with the two of them running that household and planning their strategy and legacy moving forward," said Bullen. "[Kate] is strong, clear, opinionated, but knows what her role is."
Bullen claimed Middleton’s focus these days is protecting the monarchy and its future. Bullen believes that when the time comes to be queen consort, she’ll be up for the job.
The Prince and Princess of Wales married in 2011. Prince William is heir to the British throne. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
"I think the Princess of Wales will be a queen in the most traditional sense," Bullen explained. "She is the perfect consort in many ways. She looks great, she is great with people. She knows her job is to support the king, the monarch. And I think she understands the job. And at the same time, she has a very strong family around her."
Catherine, Princess Of Wales, attends the opening of Evelina London's new children's day surgery unit Dec. 5, 2023, in London. (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
"We know that Prince William loved being part of the Middleton family [before the couple got married] because it gave him a real grounding," Bullen explained. "It gave him an anchor. And you can see that in Kate, her sister Pippa and, to an extent, her brother James. They are confident in who they are as people because they know that they come from a family with real love in it. And I think that’s what’s been so useful for the royal family with Kate.
"[Her family] brings strong familial values," Bullen continued. "And they are able to say family comes not necessarily always first, but just as highly as the sense of duty."
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Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William, Prince of Wales, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla May 6, 2023, in London. (Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage)
Bullen previously told Fox News Digital it’s likely the royal family will see "Endgame" as "another bombshell book."
"I think they’re tired," said Bullen." "I think … the anger has gone out of it. … A lot of the heat has gone out of it. It’s just a sense of, ‘Really? Again?’
"[It’s been said] that the Sussexes are trying to distance themselves from the [latest] book," Bullen shared. "I think that’s pretty tough for them to do because clearly there’s a lot of stuff in Omid Scobie’s book, ‘Endgame,’ that can only have come from sources very close to the Sussexes. And we know they had a relationship with him. … So, I think there’ll just be a great sense of ‘What a shame’ from the royal family. What a shame that this is happening again, just as things were beginning to calm down."
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen said the royals will choose to keep calm and carry on. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Bullen revealed that in recent weeks it appeared hopeful that tensions would lessen between the royal family and the Sussexes.
"There was the call with the king for his 75th birthday," Bullen said. "We know that there was a phone call between Harry and the king. … Everything seemed to be going well. … People were trying to repair relationships. We heard that Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie had sent video messages singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the king. It felt like there was some form of rebuilding.
"But here we are again with … another book … and more revelations. So, I think a tiredness would probably be the way it’s being felt in the household."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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