Endgame: Omid Scobie who is he?

Endgame is the hottest talked-about new royal biography from Omid Scobie, bringing royal fans an in-depth investigation into the current state of the British Monarchy.

His first book, Finding Freedom: Meghan and Harry and the Making of a Modern Royal Family was a huge success, it became The Sunday Times' number one bestselling biography when it was published in August 2020. Since then, the co-author has decided to go solo for his latest release that ‘pulls back the curtain on an institution in turmoil to show what the monarchy must change in order to survive’. Covering events including King Charles ‘snubbed’ granddaughter Lilibet’s christening and the 'heartbreaking' question King Charles was asked about his grandchildren.

For Endgame, Omid once more draws upon his decade of conversations and interviews with current and former Palace staff and trusted friends of the royals to give an insight into their lives and the many incidents that have made headlines in recent months.

Here, we share all you need to know about the royal author…

Who is Omid Scobie?

Omid Scobie is a journalist by trade and the author of the new royal biography Endgame which is released tomorrow (29th November 2023) and Royal Editor at Large for Harper’s Bazaar and Yahoo! News executive editor. Throughout his career, he has reported on the lives and work of the younger members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as Prince Harry, since 2011.

He also makes regular appearances on Good Morning America and ABC News as a Royal News Contributor and hosts his own podcast, The Heir Pod. Before this, he was a celebrity reporter at Heat magazine.

Omid is considered to be Meghan’s ‘mouthpiece’ in the press because of his close relationship with her, which began when they first met at a fashion show in 2013 before she became a member of the royal family. 

He was one of the few reporters who was told by his sources about baby Archie’s video call with the Queen for her 94th birthday. You can find Omid Scobie on Twitter for the latest about the book, @scobie

How old is Omid Scobie?

He is 42 years old, according to reports. Though, not much is known about the journalist’s private life. In an interview about his upcoming book, the Daily Mail reported that Omid said he regularly ‘knocks six years off his age’. In an interview with The Times Magazine in 2020 he said he was 33, six years younger than his actual age. He recently told The Times, 'That was unfortunate and naive of me,' he says. 'You live and learn.'  

Where was Omid Scobie born and what is his nationality?

Royal reporter Omid Scobie was born in England and is a British journalist with Iranian roots. He grew up in Oxford with his Scottish father Bill and his Persian mother Marayam, his dad runs a marketing agency while his mum works in child welfare. After studying at the prestigious Magdalen College School he went on to sixth form at Cherwell School and later studied journalism at the London College of Communication.

It is thought that he now lives and works in London. 

Who was his co-author for the first book?

Omid Scobie teamed up with American journalist and author Carolyn Durand for the first book, Finding Freedom: Meghan and Harry and the Making of a Modern Royal Family. Carolyn has covered the royal family for more than 15 years.

She writes for ELLE and Oprah magazine, as well as producing interviews with members of the royal family. 

Carolyn is also considered to be a strong advocate for Meghan, with much of her time spent over the last few years following the work and life of the former Sussex royals. 

You can find Carolyn on Twitter to keep up with all the latest on her work and the book, @CarolynDurand. You can also find her on Instagram, where she shares some personal videos and snaps from her travels with the royals around the world.

Both authors have gotten to know the royal couple increasingly well over the last few years and have been given exclusive insights into their world through press tours and personal interviews in the past. However, authors Omid and Carolyn have been quick to assure that Harry and Meghan were not officially interviewed for the book and instead, their insights come from over 100 other sources and their own experience of them.

The book offers deeply personal insight into the couple's lives and even includes details never reported before, such as the text that Harry sent to Meghan after their first date and how the couple had to fire Archie's nanny in the middle of the night once for "unprofessional" behaviour. 

Did Harry and Meghan talk to the authors of Finding Freedom for the book?

Along with reps for Harry and Meghan, the authors of Finding Freedom Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, have been quick to assure the public that the couple had no input into the book. 

All the information they say comes from the two’s own time with the former Sussex royals and over 100 other insiders. These include friends of Harry and Meghan and palace officials, who have lived and worked alongside the couple. 

However, some believe that this might not be entirely true. Some believe that the couple gave these insiders their approval to speak to the journalists and even gave an unofficial and off-the-record interview for the book themselves. 

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