Omid Scobie, called Meghan Markle’s spokesperson after his book on the Sussexes, ventured into fiction with his first novel “Royal Spin”, which he describes as a real mixture of true and false things.
The journalist, 44, collaborated with young writer Robin Benway on the romantic comedy, which follows a feisty American publicist who falls in love with a British duke, sparking the interest of royal fans as some speculated about real-life inspirations.
However, the author insisted his next book is a “separate universe” despite the parallels with the Sussexes.
The royal biographer kept fans guessing as he drew parallels between the storyline and Harry and Meghan’s real-life romance. He opposed such comparisons.
Speaking on Hello AmericaTHE End of game And Find freedom The author said, “We really wanted to make sure it felt like a completely separate universe,” adding, “We didn’t want anyone to say, ‘It’s Harry and Meghan! It’s Andrew’s situation.’
He added: “We wanted it to live in its own space. It’s a real mix of real and fake things.”
The author’s comments did not impress many people, as commenters identified many apparent real-world parallels in the narrative.
Protagonist Lauren Morgan’s difficult 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 “tights”, an American term for pantyhose, also mirrors the Duchess of Sussex’s own remarks to Bloomberg last year, when she described having to wear bare stockings as a member of the royal family as feeling “a bit inauthentic”.
Another story involves a royal spouse displaying “a very 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 it works. They bring you in, strengthen you, and then offer you as a sacrifice when someone higher up makes a mistake. It’s the playbook that works, and they use it every time.”
Scobie is a British journalist and spent 12 years covering the royal beat for major media outlets. Now based in Los Angeles, Scobie is co-creator, writer and executive producer of the television adaptation. Royal Filming.
Robin Benway is a National Book Award and New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, published in more than 25 countries.
