Prince William ‘set the wheels in motion’ in stripping Andrew of his royal duties because he thought the family was being ‘too soft’ with duke’s sex assault case ‘casting a long shadow over the entire institution’, Omid Scobie claims in new book Endgame

Prince William is the man who “set the wheels in motion” to strip Prince Andrew of his royal duties because he believed his father and grandmother were “too soft”, Omid Scobie has claimed.

The then Duke of Cambridge is said to have been the driving force behind Andrew’s exile from public life and even went so far as to speak directly to the Queen about how best to proceed, Scobie writes in his new book Endgame.

It was a move that ultimately led to Andrew losing his military affiliation and patronage in January 2022 after his association with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and sexual assault allegations against him became public.

The author, known for his close relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, writes that the sexual abuse case against the disgraced royal still casts a shadow over the institution and “still has the potential to cause significant damage to the monarchy.”

Scobie even quotes one anonymous source close to the royal family as saying that “it would be foolish to suggest that Andrew won’t bring further disgrace… that’s his specialty.”

However, he adds that while Charles continues to support his brother by funding his private security, William is unlikely to be as charitable when he becomes king.

He writes: “Although King Charles had as yet shown no intention of finally withdrawing his support from his wayward brother, Andrew would be foolish to think that William would certainly support his uncle in the same way.

“It’s fair to say that the next king will be the one in the family who inherited Prince Philip’s assertiveness when it came to defending the Crown. Until then, however, Andrew remains a wild card who could still cause significant damage to the monarchy.”

Scobie believes Andrew’s close connection to Charles could “eventually come back to bite the king and the monarchy” if new stories from the past continue to “leak out.”

In the book, which hits UK shelves on Tuesday, Scobie tells how Prince William and King Charles tried to decide how best to deal with Andrew.

The book quotes a source close to King Charles as saying: “It’s hard to believe, but (Charles lay) awake many nights worrying about (Andrew).”

According to the author, Prince William was “perplexed” as to why his father was agonizing over the decision and wanted him to take decisive action.

A source said: “William (doesn’t) think his dad is competent enough, frankly.

“Although they have similar passions and interests, their leadership styles are completely different.”

Scobie claims Prince William felt the Queen would be “soft” on Prince Andrew if he didn’t voice his concerns directly to her.

The author says a family friend told him that Andrew was “the one who made (the Queen) laugh, kept her company, and because he was always a little lost, she nursed him.”

The author claims that Prince William set in motion a plan to oust Prince Andrew along with his private secretary because the late Queen and then-Prince Charles were “unprepared” to begin the process themselves.

With Prince Philip no longer around to “take charge”, Prince William consulted with his team about the “Andrew problem” and then set up a meeting with his grandmother and her private secretary at her living quarters in Windsor.

After allegedly speaking with Prince William for more than an hour, the Queen called Charles in Scotland and told him that they needed to strip Andrew of his titles and responsibilities.

The author claims it was a “truly sad” moment for the Queen and a “gut punch” for the family following the death of Prince Philip.

Prince Andrew retired from public duties in May 2020 and was then stripped of his military titles and patronages by the Queen in 2022.

Elsewhere in the book, Scobie argues that William admired the Queen’s political neutrality and wants to reflect her reign more than Charles’s.

What’s more, a source close to the Prince of Wales claims he views Charles as a “transitional” king who will “pave the way” for his reign.

In a scathing chapter on the future queen, he called Kate “the monarchy’s last shiny thing for many years to come” and claimed her workload was lower than other senior members of the Firm and said she was “technically a part-time royal ” ‘.

Known for his sympathetic reporting on Harry and Meghan, Scobie added that Kate is not known for her “leadership and outgoing personality” like Meghan, who was “another sparkling addition to the royal family tree” before she stepped down.

Scobie recalled that this meant that coverage of Meghan’s engagements during her short time as a member of the royal family was “much less about her fashion choices and more about her work or her role at the firm.”

Scobie also claims that Kate has “no plans to increase her workload for 10 to 15 years” or until her children reach adulthood, and added that she got the nickname “Katy Keene” because the palace press release softens her need to do less by saying she is “eager to learn.”

Scobie clearly writes that Kate’s lifestyle is something most parents could “only dream of” and that palace aides were afraid to force her to do anything that “made her uncomfortable” until the Queen’s death.

He adds that the future queen had five different private secretaries over six years because they all found the role “boring and frustrating”.

In an interview today on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Mr. Scobie was asked if he knew who made the comments about Archie’s skin color.

He said: “I know who made the comments about Archie’s skin color. The names were mentioned in letters between Meghan and Charles that they exchanged some time after the Oprah interview.

“We know from sources that Charles was horrified by how Meghan felt. These conversations took place, and he wanted, as a representative of the family, to talk to her about it.

“And that’s why I personally think they were able to move forward afterwards and establish some kind of line of communication. Although they may not agree on this issue.

Mr Scobie’s claims threaten to reignite the “royal racism” scandal that emerged after the Harry and Meghan interview.

In the telecast, Meghan said an unnamed member of the royal family was talking about “how dark his (Archie’s) skin might be when he’s born.”

But it is now claimed that a second member of the extended royal court, who may not be a member of the royal family itself, has also made similar comments.

The two men are not named in “Endgame,” which is subtitled “Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival.”

The book makes a number of allegations about members of the royal family and examines their future following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last September.

These include that William was involved in “things that came to light about his own brother” and that the older brother ignored messages from Harry as the family headed to Balmoral before the late queen’s death last year.

Other claims made in the book include that there is a rift between the King and William, that Queen Camilla “quietly thanked” Piers Morgan for “protecting the firm” and that the timid Princess of Wales should be encouraged to carry out her duties. obligations.

Mr Scobie added to the ABC: “I think before people think I’m calling this the end of the Royal Family, I’m just saying we’ve reached a bit of a climax where the Royal Family as we know it is in crisis. . At stake.’

He also claims that Prince William is spreading stories about Harry.

Mr Scobie said: “He shares private information about his brother which soon ended up on the front page of the newspaper. These are things that have caused irreparable damage to each other’s relationships.”

Describing William as a “company man”, he said: “We have seen the emergence of a much more solid man who seems to have embraced and embodied the royal institution.”

The ABC report also said Harry was ready to end the rift between William, had tried to contact his brother and that relations with his father Charles “could improve.”