Prince William Accidentally Exposes His True Feelings On Those Meghan And Harry Bully Accusations

In October 2018, in the somewhat early stages of the feud between William, Prince of Wales, and Harry, the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex were accused of bullying house staff by Jason Knauf, who served as an aide to the royal family. When the accusations were filed, Prince William did not publicly comment on his thoughts, but he seemingly exposed his feelings about the incident in 2025 after hiring the accuser as the CEO of The Earthshot Prize, an award founded by Prince William that supports innovators who champion positive environmental change.

The announcement of Knauf's appointment came in the form of a press release on April 17, 2025. "The Earthshot Prize has today announced its CEO, Hannah Jones, will step down from her role this summer after four years," the press release said. It noted that Jones will continue to support Kensington Palace with strategic advice while Jason Knauf, former CEO of The Royal Foundation, has been appointed by the Board of Trustees as CEO." Christiana Figueres, who sits on the board of trustees, cosigned Knauf's qualifications for the role, saying he brings strong expertise that will benefit The Earthshot Prize.

Knauf gracefully accepted the appointment and has said he is looking forward to furthering the Earthshot Prize's mission. "The Prize has already achieved so much, and the future potential is vast. I can't wait to get started," he said.

When Jason Knauf accused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of being bullies, the main claim was that Meghan Markle was a dictator, and that the Sussexes had a high staff turnover because of how badly staff were treated. Conversations about the bullying resurfaced in 2021, just days before Markle's unforgettable interview with Oprah Winfrey. A spokesperson close to Markle and Prince Harry told People, "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," while noting that the "Suits" actor was set to continue striving to be a good person. Many of the couple's former employees spoke out in their support as discussions of their character continued.

These claims led to an internal investigation, the results of which remained confidential, but promoted change within Buckingham Palace. Though not public, all staff were informed of new rules and policies, and included a stronger approach that would allow staff to file appropriate complaints about their working conditions.

In an interview with "60 Minutes Australia" in February 2025, Knauf said that he did not regret filing accusations against the Sussexes, and that the media attention he received was "tough, but it's probably good." "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," the now-CEO of The Earthshot Prize said (via Page Six). Neither Markle nor Prince Harry has publicly commented on Knauf's new appointment, but given their current strained relationship with the royal family, the news was sure not to have landed well.