Jason Knauf, the former palace aide who accused Meghan Markle of bullying, gave a rare, televised interview shortly before the Duchess of Sussex launches her Netflix series.
Knauf, who worked as the communications secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, was asked by “60 Minutes Australia” if it was tough to find himself in the spotlight after the allegations went public. Knauf said he had “no regrets” and “wouldn’t change anything.”
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that there’s no doubt William knew Knauf would be asked about the allegations for the sit-down, resurfacing the claims against the duchess, 43.
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Meghan’s show, “With Love, Meghan,” premieres on March 4 after it was postponed due to the Los Angeles fires.
“[Knauf] wouldn’t have acquiesced to the interview without consulting and gaining the approval of Prince William since they remain close and work together on the Earthshot Awards,” claimed British royals expert Hilary Fordwich.
“We know this is an informal reinforcement of those allegations being totally legitimate right from the top,” Fordwich claimed. “If there were any doubts Meghan Markle was all she was stated to be, as a bully, then this interview wouldn’t have been approved by Prince William.”
“Jason, loyal as ever to the crown, also wouldn’t even consider conducting it without upfront approval,” Fordwich added.
When asked about the sudden public attention he received, 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.”
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 Prince Harry came to light. Knauf described the couple’s 2018 wedding as an “amazing, magical experience.”
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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.
“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 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 for their royal exit. But in 2021, 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.
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“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.”
Fordwich said that Knauf has always been “extremely diplomatic” about the bullying accusations.
“It is both notable and important he’s sticking to his word rather than retracting his detailing on the bullying incidents,” Fordwich claimed.
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that, as a communications expert, Knauf was “careful, candid and conservative” in revisiting the bullying allegations for his interview.
Whether the timing of the broadcast was intentional or not, Knauf was cautious in his wording about his time working with the Sussexes.
“He alluded to the fact that he stood by the bullying allegations,” said Chard. “He intimated that you have to take the rough with the smooth in any situation.”
“He sent carefully balanced good wishes to Harry and Meghan [during the interview],” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “However, when he says he ‘wouldn’t change anything,’ he is well aware of how this will be interpreted and the memories it will bring back.”
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.” Today, he’s on the board of trustees for William’s 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.
Fitzwilliams claimed that many felt the palace’s decision was made to further “avoid provoking the Sussexes.” But despite the couple settling in California with their young family, Fitzwilliams pointed out that bullying allegations continue to follow Meghan.
“[Allegations have] resurfaced in both The Hollywood Reporter and Vanity Fair,” said Fitzwilliams. “Harry described them as a smear, but even the Sussexes seem to have given up on their demand that the royal family apologize for the way they treated Meghan… The fact is that the allegations have continued to greatly harm her image.”
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“In the interview, Knauf gave a vivid portrait of both the problems and the rewards of working for members of the royal family when there is ferocious media pressure,” said Fitzwilliams.
“There seems little doubt that Meghan’s behavior exacerbated that pressure for some of those under her… The result has been the disintegration of trust, the royal rift and a fall in popularity for the Sussexes.”
“Knauf has worked for both the Prince and Princess of Wales, whom he greatly admires, as well as the Sussexes,” Fitzwilliams shared. “He is also a trustee of William’s Earthshot Prize. He is, therefore, uniquely qualified to speak about the pressure they have been under.”
Low told Fox News Digital in 2023 that he stood by his reporting.
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“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.”
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.”
In his 2023 memoir “Spare,” Harry described urging Knauf to denounce the “wave of abuse and harassment” directed at his then girlfriend.
“He was very smart but a tad too cool about this unfolding crisis for my liking,” Harry wrote, as quoted by The Times. “He urged me to do nothing. ‘You’re just going to feed the beast. Silence is the best option.’”
Knauf eventually issued a statement that Harry described as “strong, precise, angry, honest.”
The Times notes that Knauf remains close to the Prince and Princess of Wales and wouldn’t have spoken out, even today, without their consent.
“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.
