Endgame: New royal book shows king and his heir out of step – but fails to deliver killer blow | UK News


Spoiler alert: For those who like a royal bomb blockbuster, this book doesn’t deliver the killer punch.

But it is a rather damning account of the House of Windsor and its inner workings.

It tells a tale of a king and heir out of step with each other, embroiled in a “battle for the limelight”.

Endgame depicts Charles and William as rivalswith “simmering animosity” and different visions of the monarchy.

And while this may sound more succession than accession, this book lacks both drama and plot.

Much of what Omid Scobie writes about feels like old news.

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After Harry’s sensational biography Spare, it comes as no surprise to read about the factions and frictions of the royal family.

The author paints a particularly unflattering portrait of “contriving” Prince William, a man who “would have no trouble taking prisoners,” who “rejects” advice from his father.

Kate also comes off badly, but perhaps no worse than Prince Harry’s memoirs.

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Princess Anne was behind the decision to stop Meghan and Harry from using Frogmore Cottage

There’s the odd new nugget – Prince William accelerated the plan to remove Prince Andrew’s royal roles, and letters were exchanged between Meghan and the King in which TWO members of the family allegedly made comments about Archie’s skin colour. And it was Princess Anne who told the King to take Frogmore Cottage away from the Sussexes.

The larger theme, as the book’s subtitle says, asks existential questions about the institution.

Scobie reaches his own conclusions, claiming the royal family is teetering “on the brink” and “struggling to define itself” with an unwillingness to change.

He is certainly not the only one making these points.

But his book fails to advance the story.

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Buckingham Palace will publicly rise above it

You wonder who it was written for? Fans of Meghan and Harry are likely to agree with the narrative, but it’s unlikely to move the dial when it comes to royal loyalists.

As with everyone else, it may lack the sensational substance we’ve come to expect after a year of reminiscences and interviews.

There will be no comment from the royal family, who will outwardly rise above it, but it is another uncomfortable read.

Although they reportedly did not contribute to the book, only Harry and Meghan come out unscathed.

There had recently been talk of a possible rapprochement in relations between the Sussexes and the king. It’s hard to see how this book helps with that.


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