Prince William spoke “like a man just years from taking the throne” and was “out of order,” according to an explosive new royal book.
Omid Scobie’s second royal biography Endgame turns the spotlight on rivalry between King Charles III and his eldest son, including the disastrous 2022 overseas tour.
William and Kate Middleton were sent to the Caribbean on what the palace had described as a “charm offensive” in March 2022, in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee, but were told by Charles’ aides it could be tricky.
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Seemingly failing to heed the warnings, the couple were ambushed with protests, calls for slavery reparations and a pledge from Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness to pursue a potential break from the British monarchy.
In the aftermath, William’s top aide told reporters that in future the prince planned to do things his own way, ditching the “never complain, never explain” motto that the book says was “favored by his father and grandmother.”
“Though he was not yet next in line,” Scobie wrote, “William’s remarks came across like a man just years from taking the throne.
“Charles (who allegedly derived some schadenfreude from his son’s recent missteps and public humiliation) was said to be furious over William’s affrontery.
“This kind of declaration was for either the queen or the direct heir to make, not for the second in line.”
One of William’s staff said the prince would halve the number of staff Charles employed when he took over and told The Sun it was not a criticism but “times are changing.”
The book said an aide “huffed” that: “It was disrespectful … Not only was he dangling the carrot of something his father could not deliver, but he also failed to address how he could actually deliver any of that.”
“Another source added at the time that William was ‘out of order,'” Scobie wrote, “and Charles saw this as a deliberate attempt to upstage him.
“The Duke of Cambridge [as Prince William was then known] screwed up, but he effectively leveraged the moment to tease the public that he could soon be able to bring change.
“As often envious of his own son’s popularity and favored status in the institution as [then] Prince Charles was, this was already a sensitive topic with him, so this breach in royal etiquette, which he has never spoken about directly with William, apparently ‘left a mark’.”
It all came after a tour in which William and Kate were awkwardly photographed greeting children through the holes in a mesh fence and a poorly received photo shoot standing up in a Land Rover which some felt had colonial undertones.
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Charles’ ego was also “bruised” because William seemed not to take his advice to be “alert and prepared” for potential conversations about reparations during the visit.
“Though [Charles and William] share a number of passions and interests, their style of leadership is quite different,” according to a source on William’s side quoted in the book.
Meanwhile, an “insider in Charles’s camp” said: “Contrary to public belief, [Charles] leads with his head and his heart. [William] is colder in that respect. He just wants
to get the job done and has no problem taking prisoners along the way.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We’d love to hear from you.
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