Jason Knauf worked for both the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – and he made a telling remark when asked about the brothers’ rift
The Royal Family steadfastly maintained their silence amid a flurry of accusations from Prince Harry following his exit from the Firm.
While both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex levelled a series of claims against the monarchy, both King Charles and Prince William didn’t respond.
But now one of William’s closest former aides has broken his silence on the tensions between the warring brothers in an explosive new TV interview.
Jason Knauf, who worked for the Prince and Princess of Wales from 2015 to 2022, has filmed a segment for the Australian show 60 Minutes Australia. And he was asked about the fall-out between Harry and his family.
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Summing up William’s broken relationship with Harry, Mr Knauf said: “It’s been hard and sad.” He explained: “It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he’s [William] chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same.
The former advisor continued: “But I will say, of course, it’s been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Knauf said William had been at his “lowest” after his wife, the Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer. “It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him,” he revealed.
“Within a couple of weeks, if you’re Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer. I couldn’t believe it.”
Both the King and Princess Kate were treated for cancer last year. Kate is now in remission and Charles is having ongoing treatment.
Jason also previously worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In October 2018, while working for the couple as their communications secretary, he made a bullying complaint against Meghan.
He wrote of his concerns to William’s then private secretary in an email, in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. The duchess’s legal team strenuously denied the allegation.
Speaking about the publicity that came at the time, Jason said: “You can’t choose just to take the fun stuff in any job. And that applies to the prince and princess as well as everyone else working for them. So I wouldn’t change anything.”
He added: “You know someone who has been helping other people through how to deal with the public eye. You probably had to take your own medicine sometimes.”
Asked if he had regrets about his time in the role, Jason said, “No. It’s not what I would have sought, but, you know, at the end of the day, you get to do an amazing job. You’ve got to take everything that comes with it.”
Jason was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List. He also helped to launch the Earthshot Prize – William’s £50 million environmental prize, which is now an independent charity.
