But it does very little but rehash what is already out there and glorify Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as royal martyrs who were forced to dish the dirt because King Charles refused to apologise for their alleged ill-treatment behind Palace walls.
It starts with a thoughtful tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting on her tireless dedication to service and ability to pull the nation – and the world – together in times of crisis.
But Scobie uses this to show that Charles is everything our beloved late Queen was not: interfering, unenthusiastic and tainted by scandal – and attempts to lead readers to the conclusion that our King is simply not fit for the job.
Prince William is presented as the future – but he hardly depicts him in a flattering light either. Hotheaded, scheming and concerned about only one thing: positive publicity.
The father and son are said to be at loggerheads – both intent on pursuing their carefully crafted media strategy that showcases themselves as individuals, not a family in lockstep.
Everyone is guilty of leaking to the press, as throughout the book Scobie paints a picture of a ruthless Palace machine who won’t hesitate to throw one royal under the bed for the benefit of others.
He takes aim at “the deep corrosion at the heart of the royal establishment” and details the personal risks he’s taken to get such a book over the line, a mark on his back for breaking the unwritten rules of the royal rota and fanning the flames of a controversial feud.
Even before we get to the chapters dedicated to Harry and Meghan’s story, the whole book is sickeningly positive about the pair and the entire book is littered with Sussex spin.
It wasn’t Harry and Meghan’s fault that the trailer of their docu-series coincided with Kate and William’s arrival in Boston, it was Netflix’s.
It wasn’t their fault either that they decided to go public with a litany of grievances, it was the King’s for refusing to sit down and apologise.
Scobie’s insistence that he had no helping hand from the Sussexes doesn’t appear to stick, with such intricate details throughout that surely only they would know – from conversations that took place in the hours before the Queen’s death to intricate knowledge of their morning routine – points only one way.
He may have denied a sitdown chat, but we all know that’s not the only way he could have got their version of events.
