One of my favorite parts of Omid Scobie’s Endgame are his smaller confirmations of some minor story or kerfuffle. This is one of them – two days after QEII’s death, Prince Harry was already back in Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor, with Meghan and their team. He got a text from his brother, and William invited him to do a “walkabout” outside of Windsor Castle, where hundreds of well-wishers had gathered. Harry insisted that Meghan be invited as well, and William acquiesced. We knew that the invitation was last-minute and that Harry and Meghan had to rush to get ready. What was always in question was how William even “decided” to text Harry. I remember the back-and-forth Daily Mail coverage, which unfolded in real time as the new king and new Prince of Wales had a minor briefing war as both tried to take credit for the idea. Well, Scobie reports in Endgame that King Charles absolutely ordered William to invite Harry and Meghan. Not only that, but William didn’t want to AT ALL. Hilariously, People Magazine’s coverage also points out that William and Kate (separately) were desperate to take credit for the idea.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s united appearance after Queen Elizabeth’s death almost didn’t happen, Omid Scobie writes in Endgame. In the book, published on Tuesday and originally excerpted in PEOPLE, Scobie writes that King Charles nudged Prince William to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to view tributes and greet the public with him and Princess Kate after Queen Elizabeth died in Sept. 2022.

“Essentially, he told William to swallow his pride and invite his brother and sister-in-law to join them when they greeted mourners and well-wishers in Windsor that day. William wasn’t keen. This was his moment with the public, but the King put pressure on [him],” Scobie quotes a palace source as saying in Endgame. According to the book, shortly before the outing, Prince William “sent his first text message in months to Harry, suggesting it would be ‘good’ if they came along, too.”

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE surrounding the release of Endgame, which chronicles both the breakdown of the royal family and the weakening of the modern monarchy, Scobie stresses that the “Windsor Walkabout” was King Charles’ idea. The author adds that a source “said it was all led by their father, that he was the one that made the suggestion.”

Commenting on the significance of the appearance, which marked the first time that the couples had appeared together in years, “It showed that all four are capable of switching it on and doing what’s right in the moment,” Scobie says. “I thought potentially that could open doors to other moments of seeing what matters and putting certain things to one side, just to coexist or to find some sort of common ground. But I think the thing that surprised me the most was that afterward everyone just went their own ways and nothing happened beyond that.”

Scobie also decodes the brief notice Harry and Meghan had for the public moment as a sign of William’s indifference. “The fact that it was about to go ahead without the Sussexes, who were only asked 40 minutes beforehand, shows just how close William was to not doing it at all. And if it wasn’t for Charles, it wouldn’t have [happened],” Scobie says.

Kensington Palace had said that Prince William invited his brother and sister-in-law to join them. The Prince of Wales thought the walkabout to greet the crowds “was an important show of unity at an incredibly difficult time for the family,” a royal source told PEOPLE at the time. However, a friend of Kate’s told PEOPLE that it was her idea. “She didn’t want her or William to have any regrets,” the friend said.

[From People]

“William wasn’t keen. This was his moment with the public…” I can imagine his little balled up fists as he threw a tantrum about his grandmother’s death being HIS moment to shine. You can tell that William held a grudge about being forced into inviting the Sussexes, because he and Kate went on to a blitz of appearances after that Windsor walkabout. William kept trying to get a do-over, only people actually wanted to see Harry. Remember that whole 10-day hostage situation? Whenever Harry was in view, all of the cameras went to him. The American media covered every single outrageous snub too. I’m not sure the Windsors have even come to grips with how disgusting and sadistic they looked during that “mourning period.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.