Omid Scobie’s Endgame book: Harry and Meghan’s US regrets revealed

Prince Harry has gone full Hollywood but the first two years in the US are filled with regrets, according to the new book Endgame.

He has a personal trainer, bike rides, hikes, and incorporates acupuncture and ice baths into his new LA lifestyle.

Yes, Prince Harry has gone full Hollywood, according to details from Omid Scobie’s explosive new book Endgame.

But while Harry’s embracing his Californian life, rubbing shoulders with movie stars and hanging out with A-list neighbours including Oprah Winfrey, it hasn’t been a totally smooth transition.

The royal writer quotes a friend of Harry and Meghan, as saying, those first two years outside of the UK were “scary, stressful and while full of hope, incredibly draining”.

Prince Harry and Meghan during the Invictus Games. Picture: Getty Images

Scobie says the couple regret rushing into lucrative commercial deals with the likes of Spotify and blame their bad decisions on his father for cutting them off financially after Megxit, when they stepped down as working royals in 2020.

“The rush to sign commercial deals after the royal institution cut them off from all funding and security in 2020 led them to sign some lucrative deals they might have thought twice about had they not been under so much financial pressure,” Scobie writes.

Meghan and Harry on stage at The Archewell Foundation Parents Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age. Picture: Getty Images

Nevertheless, the book reveals just how naive they were about how business works in the real world.

Scobie says that after the couple signed a $20m deal with Spotify to develop podcasts, “neither of them expected executives to turn down so many of their ideas”.

A company source told Scobie, Spotify was only interested in paying out for “juicy goods that could generate major headlines and bring in subscriptions”.

Harry and Meghan mingle with Rita Ora and Sam Ryder during the Invictus Games closing ceremony. Picture: Getty Images

Only a portion of that $20m was ever paid out after the two parties “mutually agreed” to part ways earlier this year.

Later one of Spotify’s podcasting executives Bill Simmons made headlines when he labelled the Sussexes “grifters”, suggesting they didn’t really want to work.

Meanwhile, the deals they made which were commercial successes, were the ones where they dished the dirt on the royal family, including the $100m Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, and Harry’s memoir Spare, which netted him a $20m advance.

Prince Harry, Meghan and celeb mates Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia De Rossi. Picture: Instagram

But Scobie says while those deals gave them financial security, the Sussex brand became synonymous with drama, which was not their intention.

“For a couple who hoped to carve out their new US lives as global philanthropists, the soap opera-style narrative that followed them everywhere certainly wasn’t the plan,” Scobie writes.

In a rare piece of criticism of the couple, Scobie says the launch of Archewell a three-piece organisation – Archewell Foundation, Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions – has also fallen flat and “the true purpose and mission of the foundation is still unclear two and a half years on”.

Harry and Meghan let loose at an NHL game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Picture: Getty Images

He says setting it up in a pandemic was not ideal, but a “mix of rushed decisions and hires also meant that earlier PR efforts were far from polished”.

The couple still have Netflix projects they are working on.

In the book Scobie paints a picture of a happy couple who enjoy being hands-on parents.

Despite having staff, Meghan insists the mornings are family-only time and while she prepares breakfast for everyone, Harry gets the kids ready for nursery school and toddler playgroup.

Scobie says their Tuscan-style villa includes a fully equipped gym, which they both make the most of before settling down to work.

“For Harry, working out and staying healthy have become regular parts of his life in California,” Scobie says. “Sessions with his personal trainer, hikes, bike rides, acupuncture and ice baths have all become essentials.”

While, we have all seen pictures of Harry looking far from happy over the past few years, a friend is quoted as saying spending time with Harry “lifts you up”.

“He’s positive, happy and motivating. He’s in a great place.”

Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival by Omid Scobie, published by HQ, is on sale November 29. Available at booktopia

Originally published as Omid Scobie’s Endgame book: Harry and Meghan’s US regrets revealed