- In Endgame, Scobie says the timing was a conscious decision to outshine the awards
It was claimed yesterday that Netflix deliberately released a bombshell Harry & Meghan trailer on the same day as Prince William’s star-studded Earthshot Award ceremony.
The first trailer for the controversial docuseries, which showed the Duchess of Sussex crying, was released as the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in Boston for the 2022 awards.
In Endgame, author Omid Scobie claimed the timing was “a deliberate move” by the streaming giant and eclipsed Williams’ long-planned awards ceremony to celebrate environmental efforts.
The uproar over the Netflix series, in which the Duke of Sussex claimed that palace staff deliberately fed negative stories about his wife to the press, threatened to overshadow Wales’ entire visit to the United States, her first since 2014.
The Earthshot award ceremony was so significant for William that it was dubbed his “Super Bowl moment” in the US, but Scobie claimed it failed to captivate television viewers on both sides of the Atlantic.
It was claimed yesterday that Netflix deliberately released a bombshell Harry & Meghan trailer on the same day as Prince William’s star-studded Earthshot Award ceremony.
Receiving the Earthshot Award was so significant for William that it was dubbed his “Super Bowl moment” in the United States
In his new book Endgame, Omid Scobie (pictured) claimed that the streaming giant intentionally released the trailer to overshadow Williams’ long-planned awards show
He said celebrity guests flew to the awards shows despite the environmental impact and that a green carpet had been shipped “halfway around the world” to replace the traditional red carpet.
The Princess of Wales wore a borrowed lime green dress for the event rather than purchasing a new dress, which Mr Scobie called a “really good idea”, although he noted that the move has not been repeated at any royal event since.
Scobie said it was the first time the couple had faced “image challenges of their own” and claimed they had “exploited their star power” after their wedding in 2011.
He said Kate had proved popular and enjoyed a “fairytale role”, while William’s energy and awareness “provided a much-needed contrast to older, more ponderous family members”.
But he claimed that the couple had been under increased scrutiny since the late queen’s death and that they were under pressure to increase their workload and “deliver more than just pleasant photos”.