When Prince William found himself with a role to fill at his Earthshot Prize organization, it seems he didn’t have to look too hard to find someone for the job. It’s official: Former royal aide Jason Knauf is the new CEO at Earthshot Prize, and considering his history with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, some people believe William made this hiring choice specifically to “target” his brother as their feud rages on.
The news of the shakeup at Earthshot Prize first broke on April 18, as reported by multiple news outlets, including the New York Post. The organization’s founding CEO, Hannah Jones, announced her plans to step down from her position, and that left the job open. In a statement shared on the Earthshot website, William announced that Jason had been hired to take her place.
âAs we look ahead to the future of The Prize and the urgent work needed to scale more inspiring solutions to the worldâs greatest challenges, I look forward to working with Jason to chart the course for the next five years of The Earthshot Prize and beyond,â the statement read.
In a statement of his own, Jason said that he “can’t wait to get started.”
“I am honored to be appointed as the next CEO of The Earthshot Prize and look forward to working with our exceptional team and incredible Earthshot community to advance our mission of urgent optimism for our planet,” he said. “The Prize has already achieved so much and the future potential is vast.”
Jason is no stranger to the royals, having worked as the communications secretary for William, Kate, Meghan, and Harry before the Sussexes stepped down from their posts as working royals. He was also the royal aide who famously filed a complaint against Meghan for bullying palace staffers, and that detail is what makes some people believe this was a strategic move on Will’s part to get back at Harry.
“It doesnât matter if you like Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex or not, this appointment of Jason Knauf by Prince William speaks volumes,” one person wrote in a post on X. “No one will ever convince me that Prince William and the rest of the family arenât playing an active role in targeting the Sussexes.”
Plenty of others certainly seemed to agree, with one replying, “They really should try & pull back the evil. Itâs now obvious.”
Another person responded that this is the proof people have been waiting for that Will and Kate are “calculated” against Harry and Meghan.
“Letâs be clear â Jason Knauf wasnât just appointed by W, he was the same man who led the smear campaign against Meghan,” the commenter wrote. “He worked under both William & Charles. This wasnât passive. It was calculated, coordinated, and cruel. The monarchy didnât just stand by â they pulled the strings.”
So far, William hasn’t commented on any of these claims, but considering the royals’ motto is “Never complain, never explain,” there’s a very slim chance he’ll ever respond.
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