Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Omid Scobie has kicked off the promotional rounds for his new book about the royal family, Endgame, with provocative claims that it was Prince William who portrayed his younger brother Prince Harry as mentally fragile. Scobie, the author of “Finding Freedom,” which documents Harry and Meghan’s “exit” from Britain to Hollywood, writes in his new book: “The side of it that a lot of people don’t know, or that a lot of people in our industry already know “The decision not to report shows how deeply William was involved in many of the things that came to light about his own brother.”
In an interview with The Times, he adds that William’s wife, the Princess of Wales, was always favored by the British press. Scobie says: “In reporting on Kate, we massively infantilise her so that the bar is lower and lower. The little successes we’ve seen with the Princess of Wales might not go unnoticed if they came from another member of the royal family, but with Kate it’s like ‘Wow!'”
Scobie also points out that Andrew, Duke of York, remains at his royal residence in Windsor despite his previous association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The journalist says: “It’s interesting what is seen as the final blow, to see you ostracized from the family.”
More broadly, he writes in his book that the royal family is at a crucial moment: “The future of the royal family as we know it is in crisis. This crisis consists of a lack of interest among young people, apathy, a growing republican movement and the question of whether the family still upholds the morals and values of the Crown that the Queen has done such great work for. But when you look at the cast of characters… it was questionable.”
In his interview with The Times he says: “It would take a lot to break up the British royal family. But could William be the last king as we know him? Absolutely.” He believes that reducing the Windsors to a tourist attraction poses a real danger, but that such a fate can be avoided if they shift gears. “The book doesn’t put the final nail in the coffin,” he says, smiling . “It’s just a reality check.”
It won’t be a quiet week for royal critics, fans and observers alike as Scobie’s book hits shelves.