Omid Scobie is a British journalist but he is more widely known for being a royal biographer. In 2020 he co-authored Finding Freedom, a book which is marketed as ‘an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple’, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
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Scobie is rumoured to be close to and ‘friends’ with the Sussexes but these have never been proven. They have also been denied by Scobie himself who told French publication Paris Match that he’s ‘not their friend and never (has) been’.
Over the weekend 25 November, snippets of Scobie’s new book made waves as tabloids latched onto possible attacks the author made against Prince William and his wife.
Prince William and Kate attacked: what the tabloids are saying
In an article published by The Telegraph on Sunday 26 November, it is explained that Scobie’s portrayal of the Princess of Wales is less than favourable. The Telegraph quoting Scobie:
(the Princess) is “a woman terrified to do anything more than grinning photo ops”
Mail Online reports that Omid Scobie,
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.
We also understand that the publication has spoken to ‘friends’ of Prince William who say that Scobie’s claims are bound to anger the Prince.
One friend says:
That will really wind William up, (...)
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.
Omid Scobie strikes back
As tabloids are writing inflammatory articles about what is supposedly in his book, Omid Scobie is not enjoying the bad press. In the evening of 26 November, the writer took to X to answer some of the tabloids.
Answering The Telegraph he said:
They won’t quote the parts that are critical of their own coverage so it’s easier to just make up things that aren’t even in the book:
He attached to that tweet the following extract from his own book. In it we find that, indeed, what Scobie wrote is not a direct criticism of the Princess of Wales but instead a criticism of how the tabloids report on her work.
Scobie continued his X post by warning people reading the tabloids’ coverage.
Whether you like my work or loathe it, all I ask is that if you are reading coverage about what’s supposedly inside #ENDGAME, please also read the book itself. Incorrect and bad translations, snippets without context, leaks etc. do not tell the full or accurate story. Thank you
Will you be reading Endgame and what do you think of the coverage the book has been receiving?
Read more:
⋙ Prince Harry: The Duke received a Thanksgiving message from his uncle
⋙ Prince Harry and Meghan: Could they spend Christmas at Sandringham?
Sources:
Paris Match: Omid Scobie : « La monarchie anglaise doit changer en profondeur si elle ne veut pas disparaître »
Mail Online: Prince William's allies hit out at 'outrageous' suggestions he briefed against Prince Harry following claims by 'Meghan's mouthpiece' Omid Scobie
The Telegraph: Princess of Wales and Duchess of Sussex encouraged to dress like Diana, claims new book on Royals
