With the release of Harry & Meghan dropping some major revelations, the world has all eyes on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
In light of the Netflix release, a big talking point is the couple's claims on how they were treated once Meghan married into the royal family - and specifically, what went down with Jason Knauf. Whilst the former royal staff member was not part of the Harry & Meghan cast, both he and his actions have found themselves the subject of talks on the bombshell docuseries...
And in case you needed a reminder of exactly who he is and what went down, we've got you covered.
Last year, the couple's former communications secretary hit headlines after he gave an explosive witness statement against Meghan in the Court of Appeal as part of her ongoing case with Associated Newspapers, the publishers of the Mail on Sunday. Jason, 37, claimed that Meghan and Harry had been involved in briefing authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand on their unauthorised biography Finding Freedom, and that Meghan had written a letter to her father Thomas Markle with the intent that it may be leaked to the press (which it eventually was, to the Mail on Sunday).
And even after the drama, Texan-born Jason remained a trusted member of the Kensington Palace - continuing to work for Prince William and Kate after their counterparts jetted off for California, before announcing he was leaving the Palace after seven years.
One of Jason's first roles within the palace involved working with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on their Heads Together campaign, which highlighted mental health. Jason was also said to have assisted with the release of Harry’s 2016 statement condemning the negative press against his future wife - which is brought up within the bombshell Netflix docuseries.
However, in last March, The Times reported that Jason had made a complaint in October 2018, which alleged Meghan had driven two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member during her brief stint as a working royal. The emails were reportedly sent to William's then private secretary, raising concerns.
In response to the bullying claims, Meghan said she was 'saddened' by the allegations. But whilst the couple branded the accusations a "wholly false narrative," Buckingham Palace announced at the time that they would investigate the concerns.
After resigning from his role during the fallout of the bullying claims, Jason was offered a new job within the Palace which would saw him working closely with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - before The Royal Foundation released a statement last May announcing that Jason was standing down as Chief Executive of the Royal Foundation. The statement credited a ‘planned international relocation’ as the root of his resignation, reading ‘The Royal Foundation has benefited significantly from Jason’s leadership over the past two years.'
Jason said in the statement, ‘Working with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has been the privilege of my career. I will always be grateful for the opportunity I have had to support their leadership in the UK and internationally.’