Netflix deliberately dropped its bombshell trailer for Harry and Meghan's series on the same day as Prince William's Earthshot Prize, Omid Scobie claims in his new book

Netflix deliberately released a bombshell trailer for Harry & Meghan on the same day as Prince William's high-profile Earthshot Prize ceremony, it was claimed yesterday.

The first trailer for the controversial docuseries - which showed the Duchess of Sussex in tears - 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 'an intentional move' by the streaming giant, and that it overshadowed William's long-planned award ceremony to honour environmental endeavours.

The furore over the Netflix series, in which the Duke of Sussex claimed that Palace aides deliberately planted negative stories about his wife to the press, threatened to eclipse the Wales's entire visit to the United States, their first since 2014.

The Earthshot Prize ceremony was so significant to William that it was billed as his 'Super Bowl moment' in the US, but Scobie claimed it failed to captivate television viewers on both sides of the Atlantic.

He said that celebrity guests had flown to attend the awards, despite the environmental impact, and that a green carpet had been 'shipped halfway across the world' to replace a traditional red carpet.

The Princess of Wales wore a rented lime green dress for the event instead of buying a new gown, which Mr Scobie said was a 'genuinely good idea', although he noted that the move has not been repeated at any royal event since.

Scobie said that it was the first time the couple had been confronted with 'image challenges of their very own', and claimed they had previously 'coasted on their star power' following their 2011 wedding.

He said Kate had proved popular and enjoyed a 'fairy-tale role', while William's energy and awareness 'provided a much-needed contrast to older, stodgier family members'.

But he claimed the couple had faced greater scrutiny since the death of the late Queen and that they were under pressure to increase their workloads and 'deliver more than just agreeable photos'.