Netflix deliberately dropped its bombshell trailer for Harry and Meghan’s series on the same day as Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, Omid Scobie claims in his new book
- In Endgame, Scobie says the timing was a deliberate move to overshadow the awards
Netflix has deliberately released a bombshell trailer for Harry and Meghan on the same day as Prince William’s high-profile Earthshot Prize ceremony, it was claimed yesterday.
The first trailer for the controversial docuseries – which showed the Duchess of Sussex in tears – was released as the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in Boston for the 2022 awards.
In Endgame, author Omid Scobie claimed the timing was “a deliberate move” by the streaming giant, and that it overshadowed William’s long-planned awards ceremony celebrating environmental efforts.
The furor over the Netflix series, in which the Duke of Sussex alleged that Palace staff had deliberately spread negative stories about his wife to the press, threatened to overshadow Wales’ entire visit to the United States, their first since 2014.
The Earthshot Prize presentation was so important to William that it was billed in the US as his ‘Super Bowl moment’, but Scobie claimed it failed to captivate television viewers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Netflix deliberately released a bombshell trailer for Harry and Meghan on the same day as Prince William’s high-profile Earthshot Prize ceremony, it was claimed yesterday
The Earthshot Prize ceremony was so important to William that it was billed in the US as his ‘Super Bowl moment’
In his new book Endgame, Omid Scobie (pictured) claimed the streaming giant deliberately released the trailer to overshadow William’s long-planned awards ceremony.
He said celebrity guests had been flown to attend the awards despite the impact on the environment, and a green carpet had been “shipped halfway around the world” to replace a traditional red carpet.
The Princess of Wales wore a rented lime green dress for the event rather than buying a new dress, which Scobie said was a “really good idea”, although he noted that this move has not been repeated at any royal event since.
Scobie said it was the first time the couple had faced “their own image challenges”, claiming they had previously “landed on their star power” after their 2011 wedding.
He said Kate had proved popular and had played a “fairytale role”, while William’s energy and awareness provided “a much-needed contrast to older, more dour family members”.
But he claimed the couple had come under increasing scrutiny since the late Queen’s death and were under pressure to increase their workload and deliver ‘more than just pleasant pictures’.