Prince William 'ordered to swallow pride' and invite Harry after Queen's death

03 December 2023 , 17:54

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Kate and William with Harry and Meghan on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle after the Queen's death (Image: Getty Images)

Prince William was told by King Charles to "swallow his pride" and meet his younger brother Prince Harry for a reconciliation meeting after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, according to Omid Scobie's new book 'Endgame'.

The bombshell book says that after the death of the Queen, the monarch asked his eldest son to contact his brother so they could put in a joint appearance and meet members of the public together in September last year. Mr Scobie wrote in the book that Charles spoke to William on September 10 to discuss his plans.

During their conversation, the King made it clear that people around the country needed to see the entire family putting differences aside and coming together to mourn. For this reason, he "put pressure" on William to contact Harry asking if he and Meghan Markle would join him and Catherine on a walkabout in Windsor, even though the Prince of Wales "wasn't keen".

The two couples met members of the public at Windsor Castle (Getty Images)

Quoting a Palace source, the author wrote: "Essentially, he told William to swallow his pride and invite his brother and sister-in-law to join them when they greeted mourners and well-wishers in Windsor that day. William wasn't keen. This was his moment with the public, but the King put pressure on [him]."

According to 'Endgame', William reached out to his brother just 40 minutes before he planned to step out on Windsor Castle's Long Walk with Kate. In his message, William told Harry it would be "good" if he and Meghan came along too.

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Meghan had just come back from a walk, was wearing sneakers, and had her hair pulled up - but the Sussexes' head of communications, Ashley Hansen, urged the couple to "just get out there and do it". The "pep talk" encouraged Harry and Meghan to quickly get ready and head to the courtyard of Windsor Castle, Mr Scobie wrote.

This was the first time the two couples were seen together since Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals at the beginning of 2020. According to Mr Scobie, the silence when they got into the same car was "very noticeable", with the 150-second car journey to the Long Walk feeling "like two hours".

A copy of a book by British author Omid Scobie, "Endgame" is seen on display inside a book store in London on December 1, 2023. Buckingham Palace is considering its next move after a British TV host named two royals who allegedly raised concerns about the skin colour of Prince Harry's son, a royal source said on Thursday. The claims are back again because the Dutch version of a new book by royal commentator Omid Scobie reportedly named the two royals, forcing the editions to be pulped. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP) (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Scobie said the outing was difficult for the couples, with Meghan feeling "nervous" and Kate also finding it hard due to the "acrimony" between the two couples. The royal author also alleged that the Prince of Wales "orchestrated a somewhat forced photo" of him and Kate with Harry and Meghan.

Elsewhere, the book also analysed the relationship between Harry and his estranged brother William, going as far to say that the Prince of Wales "doesn't want to know" his younger brother, who he believes has been "brainwashed by an army of therapists". Endgame claimed: "[William] believes Harry and Meghan blindsided the family, even the Queen, with their public complaints and their 'oh so California' self-importance (an opinion he has repeatedly voiced in various ways to friends and aides during the past two years). Convinced Harry's been brainwashed by an 'army of therapists', William says he no longer even recognises his own brother, a source said."

Reports of the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family have only deepened this week. It comes as the Dutch translation of Omid Scobie's latest book – Endgame – was removed from shelves just after it was published in the Netherlands - and hit the headlines after an apparent error that named King Charles and the Princess of Wales as the two royals who voiced "concerns" over the skin tone of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie.

Charles and Kate were named in the Dutch version of Mr Scobie's book - and while confirming an investigation had begun at the publishers responsible for the translation, he denied including the identities of the two senior royals in his manuscript. A statement said: "Xander Uitgevers is temporarily withdrawing the book Eindstrijd by Mr Scobie from sale. An error occurred in the Dutch translation and is currently being rectified."

When the Sussexes made their explosive allegations on Oprah in 2021, in an interview broadcast around the world, they set in train a public debate about who in the royal family might harbour such racially charged views. In a multicultural modern Britain such allegations against the monarchy generated debate on a matter of such public importance with Scobie's new book claiming to add to that public debate.

Speaking of his frustration with the scandal that has sent shockwaves through the monarchy, Mr Scobie laid the blame squarely on the publisher in the Netherlands, saying: "I never submitted a book that had those names in it." But in a twist, the Dutch translator who worked on the book insisted the titles of the King and Princess of Wales were in the manuscript she was sent. Saskia Peeters claimed she did not add the names to the Dutch version of the book.

The Royal Family has not commented on the allegations publicly but we reported that The Firm was set to take legal advice. Palace aides were said to be still scrambling for information as to how excerpts in the Dutch version could have appeared as an "error" from the translated text.

Chiara Fiorillo