by The Duchess of Sussex and Princess of Wales were encouraged to dress like their late mother-in-law so that some of her glow would “rub off,” the Sussexes’ biographer claimed.
Omid Scobie, 42, alleges in his new book that an “enormous effort” was made to channel Diana, Princess of Wales, and that both William and Harry were consulted about such decisions.
“Over the past thirteen years, Diana cosplay has become a royal staple,” he writes.
The extraordinary claim is made in Endgame, Scobie’s latest offering, which is published on Tuesday.
The first review, published in The New York Times, said Endgame was “dedicated to setting the record straight about minor slights against the Sussexes,” including the now-infamous dispute between Meghan and Catherine over who made whom cry at a dress fitting. of bridesmaid.
“The tabloids have been rightly accused of pitting one royal girlfriend against another, so it comes as a shock when Scobie, whose tone is one of self-righteousness, employs a similar tactic,” the paper says.
The overall theme, according to Scobie, is that the monarchy is at a crossroads and its future in crisis.
According to the review, he calls the institution “tone-deaf, racist and financially reckless,” rubbing salt in the wounds by adding that everything has gone downhill since Charles became king.
“When Queen Elizabeth II was in charge, she managed to keep much of that at bay,” he writes.
By comparison, the Duke and Duchess are “in a good place” and paying no attention to the negative headlines. Harry is said to be working on something in the “military space,” while Meghan, according to a source, is “building ‘something more accessible… something rooted in her love of details, curation, hosting, pleasures simple things about life and family. “
Regarding efforts to emulate Diana, Scobie cites a royal source who worked with both William, 41, and Harry, 39, who claims that such “decisions” were always discussed with them.
“Were there gentle pushes from others? Sometimes yes. “Someone was known to go back and take images of Diana at a certain place or time to get ideas,” the source says, according to an excerpt seen by the New York Post.
Scobie adds: “At the right time, this can be a sweet gesture, but there is also a slightly uncomfortable feeling when you realize that it is often orchestrated within the same system that contributed to his life in squalor and an institution that still he wants some of Diana’s brilliance. to infect them.”
Both the princess, 41, and the duchess, 42, have often compared their clothing choices to those of their late mother-in-law, although there has never been any public confirmation that this was deliberate.
In 1987, Diana wore a baby pink off-the-shoulder Catherine Walker dress for a ballet in Berlin that was similar to a Carolina Herrera dress Meghan wore for Trooping the Color in 2018.
By comparison, the princess has worn several outfits reminiscent of Diana’s, including the strapless black velvet dress with ruffles on the bodice she chose for the Sun’s Military Awards in 2011, which was similar to a dress Diana wore at the Goldsmiths’ Hall in London in 1981 and the red skirt suit with black belt and black jumper in 2001, which was almost identical to the orange suit Diana wore in Liverpool in 1995.
Scobie, who told the Sunday Times he was aware he was “not very liked in Britain” and is currently renting a house in Hollywood, is understood to have orchestrated his own marketing strategy to publicize the book, leaving his publishers with UK based largely in the dark.
The only newspaper to send an advance copy for review appears to have been The New York Times, which surmised, “We’ve heard a lot about this before.”
The review, published on Sunday, adds: “Whether Scobie actively collaborated with Meghan and Harry for this book or not, he does them a disservice. His chapter reads like a press release put together by ChatGPT and does little to shed light on them as humans.”
Scobie has insisted that neither Harry nor Meghan contributed directly to the 400-page book.
The Sussexes have distanced themselves from the tome, while both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace declined to comment.
Queen Camilla is not a fan of wokeness. Scobie claims the Queen rolls her eyes when topics such as gender identity or veganism come up.
A former assistant is quoted as saying, “Even gluten-free or dairy-free options on a restaurant menu bother her.”
The book also alleges that after Piers Morgan called Meghan “Princess Pinocchio” on Twitter in 2021, when she spoke about her suicidal feelings, Camilla “silently thanked him for standing up for the Firm.”
Scobie suggests Buckingham Palace lied when it said Camilla would never be queen.
However, he points out that now “the public finally tolerates it.”
He also does not seem to have been able to resist a reference to “tamtengate”, a private telephone conversation between Camilla and Charles in 1989 that was recorded without their knowledge.
Scobie portrays the princess as “a woman terrified of doing anything more than smiling photographs” and claims she had to be convinced to appear on Blue Peter in 2019.
He told The Sunday Times: “In the coverage of Kate we infantilise her enormously so that the bar is always lower.
“The little achievements we’ve seen from the Princess of Wales might not be noticeable if it were from another member of the royal family, but with Kate it’s like ‘wow!'”
Scobie claims the princess copies Meghan’s dress style and suggests her Hold Still photography project is “reminiscent” of Meghan’s 2018 Grenfell cookbook, Together.
However, it suggests the mother-of-three, 41, jokingly cringes every time Meghan’s name is mentioned. Charles is a “defective father.”
The book also takes aim at the King, who is “often envious” of his children’s popularity and is said to have used Harry’s teenage drug problems to boost his own image.
Charles considered Prince Harry a “fool” for making a Netflix documentary series, but he is accused of “ineptitude” in addressing the entire Harry and Meghan saga.
In the book he is portrayed as a spendthrift and a spoiled man who insists on having his shoelaces ironed and travels with 1,000 thread count bedding that must be perfectly steamed.
Scobie claims that before Elizabeth II’s death, royal aides did not believe he was up to the top job, lacking both “the courage” and “the vision for the family’s next chapter.”
He adds: “There has been a kind of understanding of what the role is compared to the Prince of Wales, where there was a bit more freedom and… personality.”
William is in “heir mode” and on a collision course with the King
The Prince of Wales, 41, is described as a brash “company man” who is increasingly willing to allow the palace to deploy “dirty tricks.”
Scobie alleges that Prince William is a power-hungry figure who is in “heir mode” and on a collision course with his father, the King.
“It would have been nice to see them come together on certain projects maybe in the early years, to form that united front, but they are all working in silos,” he told the Sunday Times.
Both the Prince and Princess are said to have found lampooning Harry and Meghan on South Park “hilarious.”
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