Former royal aide Jason Knauf opened up about the rift between Prince William and Prince Harry and said it’s been “hard and sad” for those on the inside to witness the split between the brothers.
Speaking on “60 Minutes Australia,” Knauf — who previously worked as a communications secretary to Prince William and Kate Middleton along with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — said that he’s unsure if the bond between the two brothers could ever heal, which started after Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties and eventually moved to the United States.
“It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but [William]’s chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same,” Knauf said.
“But I will say, of course, it’s been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them,” he added.
Prince Harry and Prince William’s Former Royal Aide Breaks Silence on the Brothers’ ‘Sad’ Rift https://t.co/zILNiD2tDt
— People (@people) February 24, 2025
Knauf, who “worked really closely with” Harry and Meghan to plan their wedding in 2018, called the opportunity to work with the couple on their event an “amazing, magical experience” and wished them all the best.
The former aide also said he couldn’t “speculate on the future” when asked if he thought Harry’s role in the family could possibly change when William becomes King. He added, “They achieved a lot together, and none of that can ever be taken away.”
However, another former royal aide, Grant Harrold, spoke to the outlet and said that the “broken bond” won’t last forever and suggested that Harry will “still be there to support his brother [at his coronation as King] as he has been for his father.”
After serving as a communications secretary to the royal brothers and their wives, Knauf took on the role of chief executive of Prince William and Middleton’s Royal Foundation, before he stepped down from the royal household in 2021.
In 2024, a source told People magazine that Harry’s calls and letters to his father King Charles and his brother have reportedly gone unanswered.
The rift between the brothers is “very bad,” said a royal insider, but it’s not “irreparable.”
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