Author claimed that the Duke and Duchess did not collaborate on book

With his boyish looks, sparkling white teeth and supposed “insider” knowledge on all things Meghan-related, Omid Scobie has unexpectedly found himself inside the Sussexes’ circle. The 40-year-old author of Finding Freedom, co-written with Carolyn Durand, now potentially finds himself in hot water after he claimed in a witness statement submitted to the original hearing in September 2020, that “any suggestion that The Duke and Duchess collaborated on the book is false”. He added: “They did not authorise the book and have never been interviewed for it. The book was always prepared on the understanding that it was to be independent and unauthorised.” While admitting he had spoken to both Harry and Meghan “on occasions in the past”, he also claimed that the suggestion that “the Duke and Duchess spoke to Ms Durand and me “for the purposes of the book... is untrue”. He confirmed that they had approached Kensington Palace in 2018 as well as “reaching out” to over 100 people close to the couple. Now the Duchess has been forced to apologise to the court for failing to remember that she authorised a senior aide to brief both authors.

A witness statement supplied by Jason Knauf, then the couple’s communications secretary, claims that Harry and Meghan had “authorised specific cooperation in writing” in December 2018. One email from Meghan questions whether they should “cooperate” and “work with” Mr Scobie after he wrote a “patently untrue” tweet about the Duchess being styled by Jessica Mulroney. Another email shows that Mr Knauf advised that putting the authors in touch with the Duchess’s friends was “not a good idea” telling the couple: “Being able to say hand on heart that we did not facilitate access will be important.” Harry replied: “I totally agree that we have to be able to say we didn’t have anything to do with it.” Meghan then sent a list of briefing points to Mr Knauf to discuss with the authors, including information on her relationship with her half-siblings and father, and details of a row over her wedding tiara. At one point Harry even offered to brief them directly, telling Mr Knauf: “If you aren’t planning on telling them, can I ?!” All of which might put Mr Scobie in a rather difficult position.