Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival

by Omid Scobie

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The Royal Family has been through a torrid time, and now the question of whether the Monarchy will even survive is being asked. This deep dive into the most famous family provides one-of-a-kind insights into the state of it all.

***The Instant New York Times Bestseller***

Endgame, the explosive book from longtime royal journalist Omid Scobie and author of the international blockbuster Finding Freedom, is a penetrating investigation into the current state of the British monarchy—an unpopular king, a power-hungry heir to the throne, a queen willing to go to dangerous lengths to preserve her image, and a prince forced to start a new life after being betrayed by his own family.

Queen Elizabeth II’s death ruptured the already-fractured foundations of the House of Windsor—and dismantled the protective shield around it. With an institution long plagued by antiquated ideas around race, class and money, the monarchy and those who prop it up are now exposed and at odds with a rapidly modernizing world. Relying on his vast experience as a royal reporter and over a decade of conversations and interviews with current and former Palace staff, trusted friends of the royals and even the family members themselves, Scobie pulls back the curtain on an institution in turmoil to show what the monarchy must change in order to survive.

 This is the monarchy’s endgame. Do they have what it takes to save it?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063258662
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/28/2023
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	104,947
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Omid Scobie is a London-based journalist, author, Harper's Bazaar editor-at-large and Yahoo! News executive editor. His New York Times bestselling biography on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Finding Freedom, remains the fastest selling royal book in two decades and has seen Scobie become the most talked about royal correspondent of this generation. Today, he remains an authoritative voice on the lives and philanthropic endeavors of the British Royal Family, which he has covered since 2011, and can regularly be seen on US television as a contributor for Good Morning America and ABC News, helping shape coverage for breaking royal news and major royal events. An advocate for a more diverse, inclusive and ethical media, Scobie is regularly invited to speak with journalism students and at industry events.

Editorial Reviews

If you’re looking for a primer to the saga of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, this book is a good place to start.” — New York Times on Finding Freedom

“The definitive book about Harry and Meghan.” — The Cut on Finding Freedom

“[Scobie and Durand] go deep behind the scenes.” — Washington Post on Finding Freedom

“Required reading for any modern royal family fan.” — Buzzfeed on Finding Freedom

From the Publisher

2023-12-04
A bold inquiry into the House of Windsor.

Scobie, Harper’s Bazaar editor at large and Yahoo! News executive editor, has covered the royal family since 2011. The author moved into their territory with Finding Freedom, his previous book about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In this new work, already underway when Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, the author examines how his revelations of Buckingham Palace “backroom machinations” left him open to the “toxic practices” the royals routinely use to gain media leverage. No longer can the British monarchy sail along as the late queen did with her Victorian motto of “never complain, never explain.” King Charles III faces a shrinking Commonwealth, and many wonder if this “transition king” is up to the task; the British public increasingly questions the relevance of the monarchy. “King Charles III and his relatively short reign will never reach the national treasure status that his mother achieved,” writes the author, “even with Union Jacks fluttering behind him.” Scobie investigates the spin machinery that all the major royals use to make their case, such as the press outcry with the publication of Harry’s book, Spare, and the inconsistent, delayed reaction to censoring Andrew for his sexual abuse scandal. No longer in “lockstep,” the royals now have their own press offices and agendas, most notably William, whom the author has watched morph from an aloof backbencher into a “company man…increasingly comfortable with the Palace’s dirty tricks.” The author capably discusses the accusations of racism, as well as the palace’s shameless record of misogynist gaslighting, and he engagingly analyzes Harry’s bold challenge of the British tabloids, Camilla’s steely rehabilitation, and Kate’s role as scandal-free cipher à la Queen Elizabeth.

While offering no new palace scandals, Scobie maintains his steady scrutiny of the British royal family.

Kirkus Reviews