Prince William's allies hit out at 'outrageous' suggestions he briefed against Prince Harry following claims by 'Meghan's mouthpiece' Omid Scobie

Friends of the Prince of Wales last night blasted 'outrageous' suggestions that he briefed against his own brother after the latest round of claims by the writer dubbed 'Meghan's mouthpiece'.

Supporters leapt to the defence of the future king, expressing their anger and frustration that Omid Scobie was 'peddling' what they described as conspiracy theories 'dressed up as fact' ahead of the publication of his new book tomorrow.

In extracts from Endgame, his second book attacking the Royal Family – as well as interviews to publicise it – Scobie has suggested that William 'prioritised his loyalty to the monarchy' over his brother and actively leaked information about Harry and Meghan to undermine them.

Kensington Palace has remained silent on the furore, but the frustration of those loyal to William was clear. One told the Mail that Scobie's depiction of the heir to the throne was the 'very opposite' of William's personal mantra.

'He has always been very tight-lipped when it comes to his family and made clear to anyone within his orbit that he would not do 'deals' with the media,' they said.

'Like Harry, he is scarred by his childhood experiences, seeing his mother and father engaged in what was dubbed 'the war of the Waleses'. He never wanted history to repeat itself.

'That was something that he and Harry were meant to be united on.'

Another added: 'It's one thing writing a critique of the Royal Family. That's freedom of expression. But it's another thing to peddle conspiracy theories dressed up as fact. The suggestion that [royal aides] were briefing negative stories [about Harry and Meghan] is totally fabricated. It just didn't happen.

'The truth is that everyone was walking on eggshells practically from the engagement trying to keep them happy.'

In his latest interview, with The Sunday Times, Scobie breathlessly describes William as a hot-headed, power-hungry man who has become increasingly willing to allow the Palace to deploy dirty tricks. Aside from the prince occasionally being prone to the famous Windsor temper, those who know him well say it would be anathma to him.

The author also paints the Princess of Wales as an under-achiever, who is too scared of putting a foot wrong to stick her head above the parapet.

'That will really wind William up,' said another source.

'He's immensely proud of what his wife has achieved. The princess has been the driving force behind a great deal of their work, particularly when it comes to bettering mental health.'

Insiders also maintain that a number of significant claims made by Scobie are 'just plain wrong' and 'rehashed'.

In response to an accusation that King Charles is out of touch and demands his shoelaces are ironed, one source says flatly: 'That was total bull**** when it first surfaced 20 years ago, and still is now.'

Scobie also raises issues about racism and diversity within Charles's household. He now accuses two people in royal circles of expressing concern about Prince Archie's skin colour, but claims libel laws prevent him from naming them.

Questions also remain about the sourcing of huge swathes of the book.

Harry and Meghan have moved to distance themselves from it and Scobie has claimed he is not part of the 'Sussex camp', despite a wealth of intimate detail about letters, phone calls, text messages and conversations between themselves and other members of the Royal Family.

Meghan has previously been forced to apologise for misleading the High Court for failing to remember emails she had exchanged with an aide to help Scobie with his previous Sussex-friendly book, Finding Freedom, after earlier stating she had no dealings with it.

In Endgame, Scobie openly details private conversations he had with multiple members of their staff. And he even boasts about a short phone call he had with Meghan herself after she married Harry.

Scobie, clearly angry about the coverage of his book in recent days, ranted on social media that the 'twisting of facts and misquoting going on right now has reached new levels of desperation'.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night.

The latest barrage of truth bombs from Harry and Meghan's 'mouthpiece'... until Tuesday: Every claim from sneak peek of Omid Scobie's new book ahead of its release

Omid Scobie's new book on the Royal Family promises to release another barrage of 'truth bombs' against the Royal Family when it is released on Tuesday. 

Endgame will see the Sussexes' 'cheerleader in chief' renew his public vendetta with the Royal Family, with a series of revelations and claims about everyone from the Prince and Princess of Wales to King Charles. 

Extracts have been published in People Magazine and Paris Match, touching on issues including the relationship between Harry and William, Meghan Markle's supposed dislike of the 'royal soap opera' and claims two royals aired 'concerns' about Archie's skin colour. 

While Scobie has regularly been dubbed 'Meghan's mouthpiece', the 42-year-old insists he is not friends with the Sussexes, nor was he in direct contact with them over the book, and the Sussexes have denied they are 'affiliated' with it. 

Buckingham Palace has so far denied to comment on any of the allegations in Endgame. 

Below are the key claims that have emerged from the book so far -  

King Charles 'told his family not to trust Harry'  

French magazine Paris Match claims Endgame reveals a message that was circulated in the Royal Family telling them not to trust Harry after his memoir Spare was released.

The journal reports that a source close to the King even allegedly said 'Charles was cautious' after Prince Harry called his father to pass on his best wishes three weeks after the book was published.

'He wanted to limit their discussion to a harmless exchange. Concerning Harry, the message that circulated in the family was not to trust him...everyone took it very seriously,' the source alleges.

Despite the strained relationship between Charles and the Sussexes, she and Harry still keep him 'up to date' by 'sending him photos of their children'. 

Harry used Spare to make a series of personal attacks on his family, including the claim they helped 'trash' his and Meghan's reputations, forcing them to move to California, and have 'shown no willingness to reconcile'. 

He also accused his elder brother of physically attacking him at Nottingham Cottage in 2019 and 'lunging' at him after the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in 2021. 

The prince also detailed the conversation he reportedly had with his father the King on the day of the Queen's death, in which the Duchess of Sussex reportedly was banned from joining the immediate family in Balmoral. 

Meghan 'told King Charles there are TWO ''royal racists'''

Meghan accused two people in the Royal Household of airing 'concerns' about her son Archie's skin colour, Endgame will claim. 

The Duchess of Sussex is said to have written to King Charles to outline her concerns about the comments. 

Scobie's claims threaten to reignite the 'royal racist' row that came about after Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. 

Meghan had alleged in the TV special that an unnamed member of the Royal Family spoke about 'how dark his (Archie's) skin might be when he's born'.

The Sun reports, however, that a second member of the extended Royal Household - who may not be a member of the Royal Family itself - also made similar comments.

The two people are not named in Endgame, which is subtitled Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival.

Scobie reportedly claims to know who they are, but cannot name them for fear of legal reprisals in the UK.

Harry 'ready to forget' and 'doesn't care' if he doesn't get an apology

The book suggests Harry could be ready for reconciliation with his family, with the prince reported to have said: 'I'm ready to forget. Get an apology or explanation? At this point, who cares, right?' 

The claim emerged yesterday in Paris Match.

Last week it was suggested there was a thawing of relations after sources close to the prince leaked to chosen media that he had a warm conversation with his father when he rang to wish him a happy 75th birthday. 

However, the publication of Endgame is unlikely to do anything to bolster hopes that Harry may one day be reconciled with his family.

This is doubly the case given the Sussexes' cheerleader Scobie will make a series of new personal attacks on senior royals including King Charles, Prince William and the Princess of Wales. 

Scobie insists he is not friends with the Sussexes, nor was he in direct contact with them over the book, and the Sussexes have denied they are 'affiliated' with it.

But there is a certain level of detail that, if true, could only have come from sources who are extremely close to the couple.

Meghan 'does not want to return to England' and the 'royal soap opera'  

Scobie repeats previous claims that the Duchess of Sussex 'never wants to set foot in England again', 'never felt at home' in the UK and 'never wants to be involved in the British monarchy again'. 

The author suggests that her son Archie's fourth birthday - which coincided with the coronation - was simply an excuse for her to avoid the ceremony. 

At the time, Harry announced he would be travelling to the UK without his wife, who was remaining in California to look after their children.

The Prince was reported to have voiced concerns over security and the reputation his family could receive from the public. Other reports suggested Meghan had been left upset after a letter from Charles did not address claims she had made about her poor mental health.

At the time, Mr Scobie said Archie's birthday 'played a factor in the decision' and he expected it would be a 'fairly quick trip to the UK' for Harry.

But he's now claimed Endgame that Meghan didn't attend because she refused to 'dive back into the soap opera of the court'.

Anne 'persuaded Charles to evict Sussexes from Frogmore' 

Harry and Meghan were given Frogmore Cottage as a wedding present by the late Queen before being kicked out in January - 24 hours after the publication of Spare.

The Sussexes had paid £2.4million to renovate the property and were determined to hold onto it as a UK base, but were told to move out in what their cheerleader Scobie described at the time as a 'cruel punishment'.

French magazine Paris Match reports that the author will claim it was Harry's aunt, Anne, who encouraged Charles to initiate 'Frogxit' as part of a 'strict' approach towards the wayward couple.

This is said to have prompted the prince to plead, 'Don't you want to see your grandchildren any more?'

Scobie says that only Harry's uncle, Prince Edward, was concerned about the prince's mental health.

He even accuses the King of being more worried about the pressure on Prince Andrew in the wake of the Epstein scandal.

The magazine says: 'Meanwhile, the King could not bring himself to hurt his brother. [He] was in tears because he was afraid for Andrew's mental health.

'Charles leads with his head and his heart. William is colder. 

'He wants the job done and he had no problem with casualties along the way.'

Kate and Meghan 'haven't spoken in four years'

The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex have not spoken since 2019, Scobie suggests.

In the Paris Match piece, the author also waspishly claims that Kate spent more time 'talking about' her sister-in-law Meghan than she ever actually spent with her.

He claims that Harry and Meghan sent the Waleses' three children gifts last Christmas, but that William and Kate did not respond with so much as a text.

Paris Match adds that Kate 'immediately detected a rival to her' in Meghan, writing: 'She spent more time talking about Meghan… than with Meghan,' according to 'a close friend of the couple'.

Harry, while promoting his tell-all memoir earlier this year, said it quickly became 'Meghan versus Kate' after he started dating the US TV actress in 2016.

Harry also repeated claims that Kate made Meghan cry during a row about bridesmaids' dresses ahead of the Sussexes' 2018 wedding.

William, Kate, Harry and Meghan were at one time dubbed the Royal Family's 'Fab Four' after they initially appeared to form a close bond.

But when they were reunited for a car journey the day after the Queen's death in September 2022, there was a 'palpable' silence as they travelled the short distance to Windsor's Long Walk, the book claims.

The magazine goes on to say the book describes the complete breakdown of relations between the brothers, saying: 'Not even a text message at Christmas, although, according to Scobie, Meghan and Harry had sent gifts to Kate and William's children.' 

Harry 'kept in dark' about Queen's death and William 'ignored texts about transport to Balmoral' 

The Duke of Sussex was 'kept in the dark' about the Queen's health in the hours before she died, Scobie claims. 

In Endgame, the author recounts how the Sussexes had visited the UK for a series of engagements in September 2022 when the palace announced that Queen Elizabeth had been advised by her doctors to rest. 

He writes: 'By the next morning, the Sussexes had no idea that Buckingham Palace was already planning for the Queen's final hours and the first days of the monarchy's new era — until the duke's phone started ringing. An unknown number. He usually ignored those.'

Meghan told her husband to pick up the phone and he accepted the call 'just before it stopped', the author says. 

He continues: 'Harry hadn't spoken to his father much that year, but this was not the time for any father-and-son tension. Charles told him he and Camilla were about to leave Dumfries House for Balmoral, where Princess Anne was already by the Queen's side. He told Harry to make his way to Scotland immediately.'

Harry sent a text message to his brother William asking how he and Kate planned to get to Scotland and whether they could travel together but got no response, Mr Scobie claims.

He was later told Harry had managed to secure a flight with his uncles Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

'It was upsetting to witness,' Mr Scobie claims he was told by a source close to the Sussexes. '[Harry] was completely by himself on this.'

Scobie alleges that Palace 'sources' briefed certain newspapers that Charles had personally shared the news of the Queen's illness with his son. He quotes a friend of the duke who said this left Harry 'crushed'.

The author adds that Charles asked Harry to come to Balmoral without Meghan.  

'They just didn't want Meghan there,' according to a former palace aide quoted in the book.

'Absolutely no going back' for William and Harry 

In Endgame, Scobie suggests William and Harry's relationship is beyond repair because the Prince of Wales sees his brother as a 'defector'.

In an extract shared with People, he claims 'there is no going back' for the brothers and 'absolutely nothing has changed' since the Duke of Sussex released Spare earlier this year.

Scobie even alleges that William 'doesn't want to know' his younger brother, who he feels has been 'brainwashed an army of therapists'.

He writes: 'I was talking to a source quite early on in the process, and they called Harry a 'defector' and said that was William's view.

'These were two men who once upon a time were firmly aligned in their outlook. One of them had to move on to also protect the crown.'

Harry wrote about him and William's relationship in Spare, going so far as to call his brother his 'arch-nemesis'.

William 'power hungry' and Charles 'unpopular' 

Promotional material for Endgame suggests it will be just as damning in its criticism of the Royal Family as Finding Freedom, with William branded 'power hungry' and King Charles 'unpopular'. 

Scobie revealed the cover of his latest book Endgame with a breathless description on Amazon calling it 'a penetrating investigation into the current state of the British monarchy – an unpopular king, a power-hungry heir to the throne, a queen willing to go to dangerous lengths to preserve her image and a prince forced to start a new life after being betrayed by his own family'.  

The book, subtitled 'Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival', is billed as an 'explosive' look into events surrounding the Queen's death.

The Amazon sales pitch states: 'Queen Elizabeth II's death ruptured the already-fractured foundations of the House of Windsor – and dismantled the protect.' 

Scobie claims William is encouraged by his positive approval ratings and is 'sometimes more concerned about his own image than that of the institution'. 

There are clear howlers in the extracts from the book that have been released, including the suggestion the Prince of Wales 'is eager to ascend the throne'.

Friends of William have made clear that he wants to ring-fence his three young children for as long as possible and has no desire to hasten his progress towards becoming king.

William 'kept Scobie away from royal engagements' because he believed he was Harry's 'emissary' 

In his Paris Match interview, Scobie claims that after the publication of Finding Freedom he noticed 'everything was put to the test' - citing changes to his relationships and contacts within the royal family.

He says: 'William even kept me away from his engagements for several months, thinking I was Harry's emissary.

'He had to hire a new head of communications, who met with me and told me that he wanted to make a clean sweep of the past. 

'But there were times when I was unable to fully practice my profession because of the repercussions of this book.'

It's unclear how much Scobie has made since he began writing about Harry and Meghan, with some estimates putting it at around $800,000 (just over £660,000). 

The US has become a home from home for the author, where he has regularly appeared on Good Morning America, been a contributor to ABC News and where his latest royal potboiler is being serialised in People magazine.

Photographs on his social media accounts depict him embracing the life of an LA prince, visiting the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills and Nobu in Malibu, two of the area's most expensive restaurants. 

Both are celebrity hangouts and less than two hours' drive from Harry and Meghan's Montecito mansion.

Spare vs Endgame: How Prince Harry's tell-all memoir and Omid Scobie's bombshell new biography about the Sussexes recount the historic day of the late Queen's death

Omid Scobie's new book Endgame claims Queen Elizabeth II’s death 'ruptured the already-fractured foundations of the House of Windsor'.

The Sussexes' favoured royal reporter insists that the Duke of Sussex was 'completely by himself' as he scrambled to get to Balmoral on September 8, 2022.

It also reopens Royal Family wounds in the aftermath of Megxit, branding Charles III 'unpopular', William 'power hungry' and says Harry was 'betrayed by his own family'.

Excerpts have been published in People in the US, with the book out on November 28. And as well as being sympathetic to the Sussexes, at points it is also remarkably similar to Spare, Prince Harry’s bombshell memoirs, released in January 2023. 

As Sussex insiders distanced them from Endgame today, MailOnline compares these two accounts of September 8, 2022 - the day the Queen died.

The moment King Charles called Harry to warn him: 'Granny's health had taken a turn'

Omid Scobie in Endgame

'By the next morning, the Sussexes had no idea that Buckingham Palace was already planning for the Queen’s final hours and the first days of the monarchy’s new era — until the duke’s phone started ringing. An unknown number. He usually ignored those.

'“You should answer it,” Meghan told him. He tapped accept just before it stopped. Harry hadn’t spoken to his father much that year, but this was not the time for any father-and-son tension. 

'Charles told him he and Camilla were about to leave Dumfries House for Balmoral, where Princess Anne was already by the Queen’s side. He told Harry to make his way to Scotland immediately'.

Prince Harry in Spare

'That day—September 8, 2022—a call came in around lunchtime. Unknown number.

'Hello? It was Pa [Charles]. Granny's health had taken a turn. She was up at Balmoral, of course. Those beautiful, melancholy late-summer days'.

Harry's anger at Meghan 'not being wanted' at Balmoral by his family

Omid Scobie in Endgame 

'Another call came through from Charles, who instructed his younger son to come alone. Despite already publicly confirming that Meghan would come with him (always the plan if they were traveling from California for this very situation), he reluctantly agreed, after Charles assured him that Kate would not be there, either.

'Charles had cited “protocol,” but the reality was that Kate chose to stay back to pick up the children from their first day at a new school. “They just didn’t want Meghan there,” said a former Palace aide. Meghan, a friend added, “could sense she wasn’t wanted.”

Prince Harry in Spare 

'Then came another call from Pa. 

'He [Charles] said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want…her. He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn’t having it. Don’t ever speak about my wife that way. 

'He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming, Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t. Then that’s all you needed to say'.

Prince William accused of 'ignoring his brother's texts'

Omid Scobie in Endgame 

'William, whom Charles had just spoken to, was supposedly working on arranging travel. Harry sent a text message to his brother asking how he and Kate planned to get to Scotland and whether they could travel together. No response. 

'Harry sent another text to his brother. Nothing. Though there were available seats on William’s chartered Dassault Falcon private jet, which was leaving in less than an hour, Harry was left to fend for himself.

“William ignored him,” said a family source. “He clearly didn’t want to see his brother.” Princess Eugenie reached out to Harry to see if he had any more information about their grandmother. She had heard from another family member that it was “time” but knew little more'.

Prince Harry in Spare 

'I immediately texted Willy to ask whether he and Kate were flying up. If so, when? And how?. No response. Meg and I looked at flight options'.

Harry charters his own plane from Luton to Aberdeen after other royals went on their own private jet

Omid Scobie in Endgame 

'Harry was informed that William had already secured a flight with his uncles Andrew and Edward (and Edward’s wife, Sophie), but he couldn’t get in touch with anyone about joining that flight. “It was upsetting to witness,” said a source close to the Sussexes. “[Harry] was completely by himself on this.” 

'Harry eventually located an available option—a private charter costing [$37,000] from Luton Airport, a 40-minute drive from Frogmore without traffic.  

Prince Harry in Spare 

'By now it was mid-afternoon; no more commercial flights that day to Aberdeen. And I still had no response from Willy. My only option, therefore, was a charter out of Luton. I was on board two hours later.' 

'I spent much of the flight staring at the clouds, replaying the last time I'd spoken with Granny.

'Four days earlier, long chat on the phone. We’d touched on many topics. Her health, of course. The turmoil at Number 10. The Braemar Games—she was sorry about not being well enough to attend. 

'We talked also about the biblical drought. The lawn at Frogmore, where Meg and I were staying, was in terrible shape. Looks like the top of my head, Granny! Balding and brown in patches.

'She laughed. I told her to take care, I looked forward to seeing her soon.

Harry learned the Queen had died via the BBC

Omid Scobie in Endgame 

'When William and the others landed at 3.50 pm to discover the news that the Queen had passed away at 3.10 pm, Harry still had no idea what was going on when his own plane finally took off at 5:35 p.m. And, as his phone service cut out after takeoff, he remained in the dark for the duration of his 70-minute flight.

'When Harry’s plane finally touched tarmac twenty minutes later, he received a text from Meghan urging him to call ASAP followed by a breaking news alert via the BBC News app with the announcement of the Queen’s death'.

Prince Harry in Spare 

'When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg: "Call me when you get this". I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was King.

'I put on my black tie, got out of the plane under heavy rain and shot up to Balmoral in a borrowed car.

'As I pulled through the front gates it was wetter, and pitch-dark, which made the white flashes from the dozens of cameras that much more blinding'.

Harry's goodbye to the Queen after she died

Omid Scobie 

'When he [Harry] arrived at Balmoral, Princess Anne warmly greeted him and led him to the Queen’s room, where he spent a quiet moment privately paying his respects. He had hoped to see his father — who had made it to Balmoral Castle in time to see his mother alive — to express his sympathies, but he was informed that Charles, William, and Camilla had already left for Birkhall together'.

Prince Harry in Spare 

'Hunched against the cold, I hurried into the foyer. Aunt Anne was there to greet me. I hugged her. Where’s Pa and Willy? And Camilla? Gone to Birkhall, she said.

'I advanced with uncertainty and saw her. I stayed still, watching her carefully for a good while.

'She [Princess Anne] asked if I wanted to see Granny. She led me upstairs, to Granny's bedroom. I braced myself, went in.

'The room was dimly lit, unfamiliar—I'd been inside it only once in my life. I stood, frozen, staring. I stared and stared. It was difficult, but I kept on, thinking how I'd regretted not seeing my mother at the end. Years of lamenting that lack of proof, postponing my grief for want of proof. Now I thought: Proof. Careful what you wish for.

'I whispered that I hoped she was happy and that she was with Grandfather now. I said that I admired her for having carried out her duties until the end. The [Platinum] Jubilee, the welcoming of the new Prime Minister'. 

Harry's lonely night at Balmoral

Omid Scobie in Endgame  

'That night after eating he retired to his room, exhausted by the day’s emotional roller coaster. He was glad to have had a private moment to say goodbye to his grandmother, but there was no point in sticking around. 

Prince Harry in Spare 

'I rang Meg, told her I’d made it, that I was OK, then walked into the sitting room and ate dinner with most of my family, though still no Pa, Willy, or Camilla.

'Towards the end of the meal, I braced myself for the bagpipes. But out of respect for Granny there was nothing. An eerie silence.

'The hour getting late, everyone drifted off to their rooms, except me. I went on a wander, up and down the stairs, the halls, ending up at the nursery.

'The old-fashioned basins, the tub, everything the same as it had been twentyfive years ago. I passed most of the night time-traveling in my thoughts while trying to make actual travel arrangements on my phone'.

Harry jets back to London early, and alone on BA flight

Omid Scobie in Endgame 

'With no offer to return with William and the others in the morning (all of his texts, including a thoughtful message about the loss of their grandmother, continued to be ignored), Harry booked his own British Airways ticket on the first available departing flight'.

Prince Harry in Spare 

'The quickest way back would’ve been a lift with Pa or Willy…Barring that, it was British Airways, departing Balmoral at daybreak. I bought a seat and was among the first to board.

'Soon after settling into a front row, I sensed a presence on my right.

'Deepest sympathies, said a fellow passenger before heading down the aisle. Thank you.

'Moments later, another presence. Condolences, Harry. Thanks…very much.

'Most passengers stopped to offer a kind word, and I felt a deep kinship with them all. Our country, I thought. Our Queen'.