Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand comes out tomorrow and more and more of the book’s revelations are being released as media outlets get access to the book. Page Six reports that according to the authors, a summit took place in 2019 to talk about the growing tensions between Prince William and Prince Harry:
“The future of the British monarchy depends on Prince William and Prince Harry mending their rift — as a palace courtier stressed, “we cannot have them at war,” a new book reveals.
Palace staffers were so worried about the feud between the two brothers following Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle that it was the hot topic of discussion at a summit in the spring of 2019.”
“We need to design a system to protect the monarchy full stop,” said one source at a palace retreat before Harry and Meghan moved from Kensington Palace to Windsor.
“The future of this monarchy relies solely on the four people currently in Kensington Palace. The public popularity only lies with them,” said the insider, issuing a battle cry. “When [Prince Charles] becomes king, the only way it lasts is if the four of them are not at war.”
The irony here is that the “system” involves the courtiers themselves, who are part of the sh-t stirring problem, and many of the misunderstandings and miscommunications are a result of infighting between royal households, as certain aides sought to undermine certain members of the family – a game that existed well before the current players held court.
Beyond that, though, if “protecting the monarchy” is the priority, it’s about having a solid business plan, like any corporation. And there are similarities here between a blue chip company and the British royal institution. As we know, in business, innovation is the key to success. How do you to maintain your core product, even if it’s been around forever? Doing the same sh-t over and over again isn’t how you stay relevant. One way to “protect the monarchy” then is to be progressive. The problem where the British royal institution is concerned though is that what they consider to be progressive is still decades behind everyone else. And at a time when structures are being challenged and old perspectives are being torn down, they’re still in the castle with their robes on all like… but curtseys!
Harry and Meghan believed that they could innovate within the royal family. Those loyal to the royal family and Prince William think they were too much – or, simply, they weren’t ready for it. And afraid of it. Change, as we know, is scary. And what’s scariest for royals is the kind of change that they think might result in their elimination. Which is why they’re so resistant. And that’s the myopia of it: because it’s actually change, meaningful change, that could circumvent their growing irrelevance. Unfortunately, fear tends to narrow focus. Which is why, for the anti-Sussex faction out there, their frequent accusations about the Sussex way are that it was too pushy, too loud, too sanctimonious, too celebrity.
Speaking of celebrity though, there’s so much in Finding Freedom that’s about celebrity that, frustratingly, has been largely ignored. Amal and George Clooney, for example, make several appearances. It was already made known last year that Amal was the one who arranged for the private jet for Meghan to travel between New York and London for the baby shower. The book has more details about Harry and Meghan’s friendship with the Clooneys, including hanging out with them at Lake Como and at their English estate and the role the Clooneys played at the wedding reception. How has this been so largely ignored?!
