The heir to the throne and his wife have hired an official who was at the center of a scandal involving Meghan Markle’s alleged bullying of staff. Kensington Palace announced that Jason Knauf, former executive director of The Royal Foundation, has been appointed as the new CEO of The Earthshot Prize. He will replace Hannah Jones, who is stepping down this summer after four years leading Prince William’s flagship environmental initiative.
Jones, who became Earthshot’s first CEO in 2021, will remain on as an advisor, while Knauf is set to immediately take over to ensure a smooth transition. The appointment has surprised royal experts, as it comes just weeks after Knauf broke his silence regarding his role in the scandalous accusations against Prince Harry’s wife.
In 2018, leaked emails surfaced in which Knauf accused the Duchess of Sussex of bullying staff. “The Duchess seems to always have someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and trying to undermine her confidence. We’ve received multiple messages from people who witnessed unacceptable behavior toward Y,” one message read.
In their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stated that this scandal was one of the key reasons they stepped down from royal duties and relocated to the United States.
In March, Knauf gave an interview to Australia’s 60 Minutes, speaking publicly about the scandal for the first time. He stood by his allegations, stating, “I think it’s tough, but maybe that’s a good thing. Someone has to help people cope with public scrutiny. And sometimes, those people have to swallow a bitter pill.”
The palace aide made a remark that many interpreted as a veiled criticism of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex: “In any job, you can’t just pick the parts you like. That applies to the prince and princess, and to everyone who works for them. So I wouldn’t change anything. In a royal role, you have to take the whole package.”
Despite his controversial statements, Knauf emphasized that he still holds positive feelings toward the former American actress and the prince. He said he had many great times with the couple and fondly remembers working on their 2018 wedding. A spokesperson for the embattled royal couple previously responded to the bullying allegations, calling them a calculated smear campaign.
