Prince William's public dig at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shows he ‘doesn't care' what they think: experts
Jason Knauf, the former royal aide who accused the Duchess of Sussex of bullying, was recently named CEO of The Earthshot Prize, William's key environmental organization.
"Prince William's decision to make Jason Knauf, the former private secretary of the Sussexes, the CEO of his most prestigious project will infuriate Harry and Meghan," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed to Fox News Digital. "It is impossible to avoid feeling that this is precisely what William intended."
"As far as the Sussexes are concerned, [Knauf] undoubtedly has pariah status," Fitzwilliams claimed. "[But] William is clearly showing he doesn't care about what his brother thinks, much less Meghan.
"… The royal rift seems permanent," he added.
A statement posted on April 17 revealed that the organization's current CEO, Hannah Jones, will depart from the post this summer after four years. Knauf immediately joined Earthshot and will work with his predecessor in the coming months.
"As the first CEO, Hannah has built The Prize into a world-class organization with an incredible team delivering an annual Prize, powering a platform for speeding solutions to scale, and catalyzing a movement to encourage young people, spark imaginations and infuse urgent optimism across the world," said William, 42, in a statement.
"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," he added.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital this announcement is significant.
"It [represents] Jason's stalwart support of the family during the bullying scandal," she claimed. "This is a clear signal as to the legitimacy of all the bullying reports, damning to Meghan Markle."
"While every royal has had issues regarding those they can trust, Prince William, having been betrayed by his brother, is wary and has deeper trust issues," Fordwich claimed. "Jason remains one of his closest confidantes, a trusted advisor and a member of his inner circle due to his discretion during difficult times."
In February, Knauf gave a rare, televised interview shortly before the Duchess of Sussex launched her Netflix series, "With Love, Meghan."
When asked by "60 Minutes Australia" about the sudden public attention he received after the bullying allegations went public, Knauf said, "I think it's tough, but it's probably quite good. You know, as someone who has been helping other people through how to deal with the public eye, you probably have to take your own medicine sometimes."
"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 said. "So, I wouldn't change anything."
At the time, Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace and Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment about Knauf's interview.
For seven years, Knauf, an American, worked at "the highest levels of the royal family," The Times UK reported. During his time at the palace, Knauf was in charge of communications for Meghan and Prince Harry, as well as William and Kate Middleton.
The outlet noted that in 2016, Knauf was in charge of protecting Meghan from the relentless British tabloids once her romance with Harry came to light. Knauf described the couple's 2018 wedding as an "amazing, magical experience."
However, the outlet noted that five months after the royal wedding, Knauf wrote an incendiary email accusing the former American actress of bullying palace staff.
Knauf wrote to Simon Case, his boss and William's private secretary, that there were "some very serious problems" with Meghan's behavior.
In the emails, Knauf claimed that Meghan bullied two palace aides out of the household "in the past year." There were also allegations that Megan "undermined the confidence" of a third staff member.
"The duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights," the outlet quoted him as writing. "She is bullying X and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior."
The outlet reported that Knauf felt "it seemed possible" that Meghan could turn on him next. It shared that Knauf resigned a month later but was promptly rehired to work for William and Kate as a special adviser and chief executive of their Royal Foundation. The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had their offices split before Meghan and Harry made their royal exit.
WATCH: KATE MIDDLETON, PRINCE WILLIAM 'PLANNING THEIR LEGACY AMID 'ENDGAME'
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. They cited the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media, as well as lack of support from the palace, for their royal exit.
In 2021, just days before Meghan and Harry's televised interview with Oprah Winfrey aired, Valentine Low broke the story of the bullying allegations.
Meghan's team strongly refuted the claims.
"The Duchess is saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma," a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital at the time.
"She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."
A spokesperson for the Sussexes also told The Times, "Let's just call this what it is – a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation."
The Times reported that Knauf resigned from his job working for William and Kate in 2021. At the time, his husband had accepted a diplomatic post abroad. Still, King Charles gave him a rare honor that's bestowed only for "exceptional service to the monarchy."
Before Knauf was appointed CEO of Earthshot, he was on the board of trustees.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that "now more than ever," William "values and surrounds himself with professional and trustworthy people."
"Trust is the integral glue in William's life," Chard explained. "… Prince Harry has repeatedly voiced grievances and leaked information about his family to the press, leading to a breakdown of their relationship and all trust.
"Jason Knauf has proved himself as a trustworthy, professional, valuable team player and leader. He excelled working for the Prince and Princess of Wales… Jason's care, empathy and work ethic resonated with thankful William. It is hardly surprising that he has now been appointed CEO of The Earthshot Prize."
In 2022, Buckingham Palace announced it had completed a review into the handling of the bullying allegations. However, they declined to share the results of the investigation.
Chard believes that Knauf's latest role "also endorses that he was correct with the bullying allegations."
"… Harry and Meghan may be looking over their shoulders, wondering what new information could be unearthed referencing the bullying claims," she said. "One thing is for sure, Prince William, surprised that blood isn't always thicker than water, champions trustworthy, supportive people."
Low previously told Fox News Digital in 2023 that he stood by his reporting.
"The important thing is we all know they're quite litigious," he said, referring to the Sussexes. "But despite getting several strongly worded letters from their lawyers before we published — after we published, we didn't hear a word from them. So that speaks volumes, too."
Low's book "Courtiers" also alleged that "relations between the couple and some of their senior staff became so fractious that William's private secretary had to step in to help keep the peace." Low also claimed that some former staff still had difficulty discussing their experiences. Some would even refer to themselves as members of "The Sussex Survivors' Club."
WATCH: MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY ACTED LIKE A COUPLE OF TEENAGERS, PALACE SOURCES ALLEGE IN EXPLOSIVE NEW BOOK
When Low's book was published in 2023, reps for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn't immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital they generally do not comment "on such books."
The Times noted that Knauf remains close to the Prince and Princess of Wales.
"If anyone knows where the Megxit bodies are buried, it's a fully paid-up member of the Sussex Survivors Club: Jason Knauf," the outlet added.
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