Royal aide who accused Meghan Markle of ‘bullying’ staffers appointed to major role with Prince William
The former royal aide who sensationally accused Meghan Markle of bullying her assistants at Kensington Palace was selected to lead Prince William’s environmentalism project.
Jason Knauf was appointed as the next CEO of the Earthshot Prize by the board of trustees after founding CEO Hannah Jones announced her intent to step down from the role on Thursday.
Knauf was a trusted staffer in the Royal Household beginning in February 2015 when he served as the communications secretary for Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Megan Markle.
He also attended Harry and Megan’s wedding in May 2018.
“As we look ahead to the future of The Prize and the urgent work needed to scale more inspiring solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, I look forward to working with Jason to chart the course for the next five years of The Earthshot Prize and beyond,” Prince William said in the announcement.
Knauf, a board member for the non-profit since 2022, celebrated his selection on Thursday in a post to LinkedIn.
“It is an honour to be appointed as CEO of The Earthshot Prize. Thank you to the Board of Trustees for placing their faith in me to lead this very special organization. And thanks to Hannah Jones for her leadership over four remarkable years and for her support during this transition,” he wrote.
The Texas-born communications expert has served under the heir-apparent in several roles, including as communications secretary until 2019.
During that time, Knauf allegedly witnessed the former “Suits” star “bully” her staffers to the point of reducing them to tears.
According to The Times of London, Knauf reported the alleged abuse to Prince William’s private secretary, Simon Case, as he tried to protect unnamed workers.
“I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X* was totally unacceptable,” Knauf wrote in the October 2018 HR complaint.
“The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights,” Knauf reportedly continued. “She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior towards Y.
“I remain concerned that nothing will be done,” he added.
Knauf’s accusations against Markle were made public in 2021, days before her highly anticipated interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In February, he defended his decision to report the allegations despite the public attention, saying he “wouldn’t change anything.”
“Someone who is helping other people how to deal with the public eye… you probably have to take your own medicine sometimes,” Knauf told “60 Minutes Australia.”
“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,” he added. “So, I wouldn’t change anything.”
He has remained loyal to Prince William even after leaving his “Spare” brother.
Knauf served as the CEO of the Royal Foundation for the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge between 2019 and 2022, transitioning to work with the board on The Earshot Prize.
