The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will lose an “integral” member of staff later this year.
Prince William and his wife Catherine are set to say goodbye to Jason Knauf, who previously worked as the couple’s communications secretary and is now Chief Executive of their Royal Foundation, when he stands down from his post at the end of December 2021.
They said in a statement:”Jason has been an integral part of our team since 2015. We are immensely grateful for his hard work and commitment, both at The Royal Foundation and previously as our Communications Secretary.
“Since taking over as Chief Executive, Jason has driven positive change, making our vision for our charitable work and the causes that matter most to us a reality. We are sad to see him go but wish him all the very best in his future career.
“We look forward to launching the recruitment search shortly and welcoming a new Chief Executive later on this year.”
Jason – who previously worked for the Royal Bank of Scotland and as an advisor to former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark – hailed his work for William and Catherine as the “privilege of [his] career”.
He said in a 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.”
And the American PR guru won’t have an easy final few months in his job as he’s expecting to be busier than ever.
He added: “The months ahead will be the busiest time in the Foundation’s history with the first awards for The Earthshot Prize and more progress on our early childhood work. We have a lot to do with our amazing team and all of our partners.”