Why Prince William Reportedly Ignored Prince Harry's Texts While Queen Elizabeth Was Dying

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) and Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge

Prince Harry was reportedly shut out of the final hours of Queen Elizabeth's life, according to a new excerpt from the upcoming bombshell book Endgame, written by Omid Scobie, a British journalist well-versed in all things royals.

In an exclusive preview obtained by People, Scobie claims that, while Harry reached out desperately for information, his brother ignored his texts, leaving him in the dark as his grandmother passed away.

Just days prior to her death, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, were in the UK for a number of planned engagements. While in the country, the queen was publicly advised to rest by her doctors at her property in Scotland. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world—including Harry—the Palace was already preparing for her passing, according to Scobie.

That is, until then-Prince Charles called him ordering him to Scotland as quickly as possible. Harry was allegedly told that William was arranging travel, but when Harry reached out to inquire about going together, the message reportedly went unanswered. Eventually it came to light that William and a number of other family members had secured a flight, but Harry couldn't get in touch with anyone about coming along.

As news of the Queen's impending death broke, members of the media rushed to book train and plane tickets, making his options scarce. Another text to William went ignored and he was left on his own, ultimately chartering a private jet.

But his flight didn't land until shortly before 7 p.m. — almost four hours after Queen Elizabeth passed. While he remained out of touch with any members of his family, his team back home was reportedly at war with the Palace over whether they would announce the news of her death prior to Harry being informed.

According to Scobie, the Palace claimed Prince Charles tried to call Harry, though there was reportedly never any proof he had done so, while Harry's team "literally had to beg" them to wait until his plane landed. When bad weather forced his plane to circle, the Palace refused to wait any longer, issuing the formal announcement at 6:30.

When Harry landed, a text from Meghan telling him to call her as soon as possible popped up just before the BBC's breaking news alert, informing him he was too late. When he finally arrived at Balmoral to pay his respects, he discovered that Charles, William, and Camilla had reportedly already left, with no invitation for Harry to join them.

Harry reached out to William again with a heartfelt message about their collective loss, which also went unanswered, so he booked his own flight home.

According to Scobie, a family source explained that William “clearly didn’t want to see his brother” at the time. Following the release of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries and his bombshell memoir, Spare, William reportedly distanced himself even further.

William is said to take issue with their “oh so California” attitudes and reportedly believes Harry has been brainwashed by an “army of therapists,” according to a source who claims William has said he doesn't recognize his brother anymore. "He feels he has lost Harry and doesn’t want to know this version of him,” the source said, as reported by People.

A Spencer family source reportedly countered the claim, noting that Harry is simply "a man who has stepped outside of the institution and sees things in a different light." They continued, "They will never see eye to eye at this point. They’re on completely opposite sides . . . that won’t change.”

Still, Harry showed up to support King Charles at his coronation, where he was not invited to join the rest of his family on the palace balcony. He reportedly knew “it was the right thing” to do, having no closure with his family is certainly difficult.

"...he’s accepted that things are unlikely to change, particularly with his brother — who refuses to even properly talk with him,” another source added. But as Harry reportedly explained to a friend, “I’m ready to move on past it. Whether we get an apology or accountability, who knows? Who really cares at this point?”

Endgame hits shelves on Nov. 28.

Next: Queen Elizabeth's Last Words to Sarah Ferguson Revealed