PRINCE William has dropped a bombshell announcement revealing he’s hired a palace aide embroiled in the Meghan Markle “bullying” scandal.
It was announced today that Hannah Jones will stop being CEO of the Earthshot Prize this summer, after four years in the role.
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She will continue to provide strategic advice on innovation and sustainability to Kensington Palace.
Jason Knauf, former CEO of The Royal Foundation, has been appointed in her place – weeks after he gave a bombshell interview where he said he has “no regrets” about claims he made against Meghan Markle.
He is joining the Prize as CEO immediately, working with Hannah to ensure a smooth transition over the coming months.
He was a former senior aide to the Sussexes and previously accused Meghan of bullying staff “out of the royal household”.
Just before the couple’s Oprah interview in 2021, it was leaked that Knauf had penned an email in 2018 where he accused Meghan of bullying.
He allegedly wrote: “The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights.
“She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y.”
Knauf recently said in an interview that the estrangement between Harry and William is “hard and sad”.
He said that working for the future king and his wife was the “honour of a lifetime”.
Who is Jason Knauf and what has he accused Meghan Markle of?
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Knauf joined Kensington Palace in 2015 and became the communications secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Known to be a trusted staffer, he even was asked to help with private letters to Meghan Markle’s family.
Knauf was working for the royals at the time the allegations against the newspaper publisher were made.
Two months after Meghan asked for his feedback on the famous private letter to her father, Knauf turned his back on her and is said to be the person who submitted the bullying allegations to the HR department in October 2018.
The claims were raised to HR in a bid to get Buckingham Palace to protect the staff that Knauf alleged were coming under pressure from the Duchess.
A source told The Times that Prince Harry had pleaded with Knauf not to pursue the bullying allegations.
A month after reporting the allegation of bullying, Knauf handed in his notice.
He took up a job as an adviser to Prince William in March 2019 when Harry and Meghan left Kensington Palace.
Harry and Meghan’s spokesperson has previously denied the bullying claims and called it a “calculated smear campaign”.
Speaking to 60 Minutes Australia, Knauf said he has no regrets.
Reflecting on the attention he received as a result, he said: “I think it, it’s tough, but it’s probably quite good.
“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.”
He continued in a veiled dig: “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.”
Knauf doubled down on whether he had any regrets, saying “no” and adding in such a role you have to “take everything that comes with it”.
Despite the scandal, he went on to speak warmly of Meghan and Harry, saying he had “lots of great times” with the pair while working closely with them, including on their wedding.
Hannah became CEO in 2021 to lead The Prince of Wales’ environmental initiative.
Prince William said in a statement: “As the first CEO, Hannah has built The Prize into a world class organisation with an incredible team delivering an annual Prize, powering a platform for speeding solutions to scale, and catalysing a movement to encourage young people, spark imaginations and infuse urgent optimism across the world.
“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.”
Hannah said: “As I tell all our finalists in our annual Fellowship Retreat, one of the most important jobs of a CEO is to know the right time to step aside.
“After four years, and midway through the Earthshot decade, this is my time to pass the baton. It’s been a privilege to help bring The Prince of Wales’s founding vision to life.
“I’m incredibly proud of everything our team has achieved, deeply grateful to all our Founding Partners and Global Alliance for their support, and I am delighted to remain an enthusiastic member of The Earthshot family.”
Knauf began his career as joint communications secretary for the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Harry and Meghan before becoming a senior adviser for just William and Kate.
Knauf helped start Prince William’s high-profile Earthshot environmental awards and the Heads Together mental health initiative.
He was later made chief executive of the Royal Foundation – the charitable arm of their official operations – before stepping down at the end of 2021.
Khauf was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle in 2023.
He said following today’s announcement: “I am honoured to be appointed as the next CEO of The Earthshot Prize and look forward to working with our exceptional team and incredible Earthshot community to advance our mission of urgent optimism for our planet.
“The Prize has already achieved so much and the future potential is vast. I can’t wait to get started.”
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