Former royal aide opens up about Harry and William's 'hard and sad' rift

Prince Harry and Prince William have not been on speaking terms for years, and now one former royal aide has commented on their "sad" rift. Jason Knauf worked as a communications secretary for Harry, William, Kate and Meghan, and left the royal household in 2021. Now, Knauf has given a candid long-form interview to 60 Minutes Australia, in which he opened up for the first time about what it's been like watching Harry and William drift apart as someone who has been close to both of them.

"We have ups and downs in family. Even when you really love someone, you can have times when you don't want to spend that much time with them," Jason explained of the brothers' current relationship. "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."

Despite this diplomatic response, Jason still went on to admit that he has been upset by this unfolding of events, adding: "But I will say, of course, it's been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them."

Asked whether Harry could be welcomed back into the royal fold in the coming years, the former royal aide said only: "I can't speculate on the future. They achieved a lot together, and none of that can ever be taken away."

If you recognise Jason Knauf's name, it's because he has previously been at the centre of a handful of controversies surrounding Meghan Markle. Most notably, he accused the Duchess of Sussex of bullying her royal staff, as leaked in 2021, reports The Independent.

Since then, there has also been some drama concerning a witness statement Jason gave as part of a Sussex lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, though it seems Jason has no hard feelings against his former employers.