In chess and other similar games, there is a term they use called “endgame”, defined by merriam-webster.com as “the stage of a chess game after major reduction of forces”. This is what royal journalist Omid Scobie feels that the British Royal family is currently facing, as written in his book, “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival”
Published in 2023, Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival delves into the series of events following the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and the numerous issues that have been brewing since the beginning of the 21st century. He narrates how the actions and events happening to the members of the Royal family, mostly Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Prince William and Princess Kate, and King Charles, should awaken them to realize that changes must be done in order for the monarchy to retain its relevance in a fast modernizing society. These issues include family dynamics, media relations and public perception, modernization vs tradition, and racial inclusivity.
The British monarchy has been in existence for centuries. The current monarchy, the House of Windsor, began its reign in 1917 with King George V until King Charles III in recent times. Although the British monarchy is more symbolic and ceremonial nowadays, the Royal family symbolizes national unity and tradition. There has been a lot of turmoil in the Royal family with power struggles, rivalries, and differences circulating within.
Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival has sixteen chapters that tackle various issues besetting the different members of the Royal family. For instance, the rift between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the rest of the royal family exposes many of these issues. This caused tension within the family because of their supposed racist remarks about Meghan and Harry’s first child back then as Scobie discusses in Chapter 7. This also showed how unrelenting they were in upholding their traditions, that led the couple to leave the UK and give up their royal duties as continued in Chapter 8. In connection to upholding traditions, Scobie also wrote about how Prince William and Princess Kate envision a more modern and relatable monarchy, but unfortunately, King Charles is a stickler for tradition, as Scobie wrote in Chapter 2 of Endgame. One practice that the Royal family is known for is being elusive in providing information and news to the media and the public. One incident cited in the book is how they handled Prince Andrew’s controversies and accusations, wherein Queen Elizabeth II just removed him of royal duties and stripped of military affiliations and royal privileges in 2022; which the public feels is not a just punishment for his actions. Endgame states that media and the public would like to see a more transparent and accountable monarchy, specifically in the financial and familial aspects.
In the end, Scobie hopes that discussing these issues in his book, Endgame, will shake the British monarchy to reflect on their current state. They must initiate the right reforms like becoming more transparent, embracing diversity, modernizing certain practices, in order to remain relevant in British society.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/house-of-Windsor
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70237023-endgame
