Jason Knauf: Top gong for aide who called Meghan Markle a ‘bully’
A former royal PR chief who accused Meghan Markle of bullying staff members has received a top gong from Prince William.
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A former royal aide who made a complaint of bullying against Meghan Markle has received a top honour from Prince William.
Jason Knauf has been made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in recognition of his services to the royal family.
The American-born aide, who worked for both Prince William and Princess Catherine as well as Prince Harry and Ms Markle, has been at the centre of multiple conflicts with the Sussexes.
Mr Knauf began his career as joint communications secretary for the then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Ms Markle before becoming a senior adviser for just Prince William and Catherine.
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, The Sun reports.
During his time, Mr Knauf oversaw the launch of the Foundation’s Earthshot Prize — Prince William’s $88 million environmental prize, now an independent charity, which recognises solutions, ideas and technologies that “repair the planet”.
“Working for the Prince and Princess of Wales was the honour of a lifetime,” he said of his gong.
“Receiving this recognition means more to me than I can say. I’m incredibly grateful.”
When working for the Sussexes in October 2018, Mr Knauf raised concerns about the way Ms Markle was treating junior staff.
He emailed Prince William’s then-private secretary in what was viewed as attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect its workers, The Sun reports.
Ms Markle’s legal team has vehemently denied the bullying allegations against her.
Mr Knauf was also involved in Ms Markle’s lawsuit against a newspaper publisher after it printed extracts of a letter she wrote to her father Thomas.
Before joining the royal household, Mr Knauf worked for a range of institutions, from the office of the New Zealand prime minister to HM Treasury and the Royal Bank of Scotland.
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Originally published as Jason Knauf: Top gong for aide who called Meghan Markle a ‘bully’
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