RICHARD KAY: These venomous attacks appear to rule out any chance of reconciliation between Harry and William – As Omid Scobie’s book comes out, a friend of the Prince of Wales says his brother must now ‘very publicly distance himself from this’

Until this week, it was simply possible to imagine some kind of rapprochement. Not the warm brotherly affection of the past, of course, but the recognition that the best way to secure the future of the monarchy lay in reconciling William and Harry.

There had been talk, albeit unconfirmed, that Harry and Meghan might be asked to spend part of the Christmas holidays with the royal family. And the word from California was that if such an invitation were forthcoming, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would be willing to accept it.

How hollow all that soothing talk sounds today with the publication of Omid Scobie’s latest royal biography, in which he turns his malicious attention to the Princess of Wales.

In a thinly veiled but vitriolic attack, he describes the princess as ‘cold’, a ‘Stepford-esque royal’, while claiming her willingness to support the institution she married into has earned her the cruel nickname ‘Katie Keen’ .

In the same breath, he accuses the mother of three of being a “part-time working royal,” compared to the number of tasks performed by other members of the family.

There was talk that Harry and Meghan might be asked to spend part of the Christmas holidays with the royal family

Kate is described as ‘cold’, a ‘Stepford-esque royal’, while she claims her willingness to support the institution she married has earned her the cruel nickname ‘Katie Keen’.

He also slams her for “advocating for mental health care while ignoring Meghan’s cries for help.” It’s not hard to imagine how Prince William will react to this axe and harsh portrayal of his wife. How would a spouse respond to such demonstrably unfair claims?

Rather than pursuing a brotherly reconciliation, such claims by his sister-in-law’s cheerleader that his grandmother, the late Queen, liked Kate because she was “coachable,” unlike the “strong-spirited” Princess Diana, may only deepen the rift between the brothers.

Not only does this damage the reputation of Kate, who almost single-handedly restored the good name of the House of Windsor in the wake of the crisis caused by the Sussexes’ petulant Megxit, it also insults his mother at the same time.

If there is any consolation to be taken from this lazy, one-sided version of recent royal history, it is that the portrait painted of the princess is so at odds with the facts.

Here’s a woman who basically acts like a textbook royal. She doesn’t show off, she’s discreet, she doesn’t complain. When she often performs boring public performances, she does so with poise and a dazzling smile that gives the appearance of enthusiasm. Thanks to her upbringing, she is also recognizable.

Kate instinctively understands that image and image are crucial in defining the monarchy and spreading it as an ideal throughout the world.

Scobie laughs at all that. For him, the princess “slips under the radar” because she “has never challenged the system with public struggle or outsized ambitions.” Instead, she feels “comfortable in her role” and is willing to “apply the necessary smile and elegance to her duties as a princess,” while not being known for her “leadership” or an “extroverted nature ‘.

Meghan is obviously the opposite. He suggests that she was “the new Diana” after she married Harry, a claim so wild that it hardly merits serious examination.

For William, it is about Scobie’s role in the past as a mouthpiece for the Duke and Duchess. In interviews, the author has insisted that he is not their friend, and he did not interview them for the book.

What the prince wants to know about Endgame, which is released today, is whether these acid attacks come directly from Harry and Meghan’s circle.

Omid Scobie’s new book Endgame about the royal family will be released tomorrow

What the prince wants to know about Endgame, which is released today, is whether these acid attacks come directly from Harry and Meghan’s circle.

William, Harry, Meghan and Charles speak together at Westminster Abbey in March 2019

As one of William’s friends, who was also once close to Harry, told me last night: ‘It’s a matter of trust. The challenge should be for Prince Harry to distance himself from this very publicly.’

Even then, few believe the once close relationship between the two can ever be saved.

How long ago does it seem now that Harry was as close to Kate as he was to William, a relaxed trio that delighted the world. The two princes were certainly not the first brothers whose close friendship was broken by marriage. The tragedy is that before Meghan came along, Harry was the essence of a popular 21st century prince. He was what every romantic expected of a dutiful young monarch: not only a brave soldier, but also someone who could easily laugh at himself.

Indeed, laughter accompanied him wherever he went.

Meghan’s arrival in his life changed everything. But was this her fault, or was it due to Harry’s uncertainty about the best way to bring a wayward Hollywood figure into the restrictive and highly controlled world of royal life?

Remember, Meghan had grown accustomed to airing her views on everything from climate change and human rights to clean water and gender equality.

This was clearly evident when the so-called ‘fab four’ of William, Kate, Meghan and Harry took to the stage to promote their mental health charity Heads Together, and the Duchess of Sussex naturally dominated the microphone.

There was an air of discomfort around William and Kate as they listened. Here was a young woman making it clear that her new royal status was something that could be used so that her voice could be heard – an unknown philosophy in royal life.

At that moment, the silent Kate next to her looked almost dull. In reality, Kate was merely following a protocol that has kept the royal family in business for generations.

The tragedy is that Endgame seems set to destroy any slim chances of royal reconciliation. Instead, it looks like 2023 will end as it began, with Harry’s own book launching a furious firefight against his family.