by The Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex have both been encouraged to dress up as Diana, Princess of Wales, a new book claims the Royal family.
Omid Scobie, co-author of a biography of the Sussexes, alleges that the royal ladies were urged to replicate some of their late mother-in-law’s iconic look because the institution wanted to “rub some of Diana’s shine on them”.
The extraordinary claim is made in Mr Scobie’s latest book, Endgame, which is published on Tuesday.
He notes that the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex often wear pieces of jewelery that once belonged to Diana, adding: “But while it’s almost impossible to find a trend that doesn’t feature Diana’s iconic style, the a huge effort is made on the way. sometimes her appearance goes beyond the pale.
“For the past thirteen years, Diana cosplay has been a royal staple.”
Mr Scobie cites a royal source who worked with Prince William and Prince Harry as revealing that the “decisions” surrounding his wife’s dressing with Diana were “always discussed with (them)”.
“’Was there gentle pressure from other people? Sometimes, yes. Someone was known to go back and draw images of Diana at a certain place or time for ideas,’” says the source, according to an excerpt seen by the New York Post.
Mr Scobie adds: “At the right time this can be a sweet gesture, but there’s also a slightly queasy feeling when you realize that he’s often being steered within the same system that contributed to his misery, and an institution that still wants some of Diana’s. enjoy them.”
The co-author of Finding Freedom, a biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has used his latest book to launch a volley of attacks on Prince William and his wife.
In an interview published on Sunday he said: “In the Kate cover we make her a big baby so the bar is always lower.
“The little achievements we’ve seen from the Princess of Wales would go unnoticed if it was from another member of the royal family, but with Kate it’s like ‘wow!'”
It also suggests that the mother-of-three, who is not thought to have had any meaningful contact with the Duchess of Sussex since 2019, scoffs whenever Meghan’s name is mentioned.
The Prince of Wales is described as a “body man” who is increasingly willing to allow the palace to use “dirty tricks”.
Mr Scobie alleges that Prince William is a power-hungry man in “heir mode” who is on track to meet his father, the King.
“It would be nice to see them come together on some projects maybe in the early years, to take them forward in a unified way, but they are all working in silos,” he told the Sunday Times .
Both the Prince and Princess were said to be “funny” at Harry and Meghan’s fling on TV show South Park.
Meanwhile, the King is said to have branded his young son a “fool” for creating a Netflix documentary series that revealed intimate details of royal life.
He is portrayed in the book as a lazy hobbyist and a bum who insists on ironing his lights and travels with a 1,000 thread count bed linen that must be steamed to perfection.
Charles is also accused of being a “flawed father” who used Harry’s teenage drug troubles to improve his own image.
Mr Scobie claims that before Elizabeth II died, royal aides did not think he had the best job, lacking “the moxie” and “the vision for the next chapter of the family”.
He adds: “There was a kind of understanding of the role compared to being the Prince of Wales, where there was a bit more freedom and… personality.”
The Queen does not emerge unscathed either. Mr Scobie claims she rolls her eyes when issues such as gender identity or veganism are raised.
A former aide is quoted as saying: “Even gluten-free options or dairy options on a restaurant menu, they upset her.”
It is also alleged that after Piers Morgan called Meghan “Princess Pinocchio” on X, aka Twitter, in 2021 after she spoke of feeling suicidal, Camilla “quietly thanked him for protecting the firm”.
Mr Scobie insisted that, despite the brutal criticism of the most senior members of the Sussexes’ Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess did not contribute to the book. His first book, Finding Freedom, co-written with Carolyn Durand and published in August 2020, made personal revelations about the Sussexes’ private lives.
The Duchess was forced to admit during her High Court privacy claim against Associated Newspapers that she had authorized an assistant to inform the authors.
Buckingham Palace and a representative for the Sussexes declined to comment.
