For seven years, he was as close as anyone can get to Prince William and Princess Kate. Jason Knauf served as their communications director, overseeing their daily lives, before becoming CEO of their Royal Foundation. He was the first person they told about Princess Charlotte’s birth, even before their families. And last year, a devastated William called him about Kate’s cancer diagnosis, which Jason told 60 Minutes Australia was “absolutely awful.”

He’s seen it all. “Jason was there for the biggest moments in William’s life,” a says source of the former staffer, who is now a trustee for the future king’s Earthshot Prize. “Very few people can speak from firsthand knowledge about what kind of father he is, why he really won’t talk about Harry or how he’ll rule as king. That’s the William nobody, aside from his inner circle, knows.”

FAMILY FEUD

And in the interview with 60 Minutes Australia on Feb. 23, Jason told all. Having also worked with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (see sidebar), Jason had a front-row seat for the brothers’ falling-out. “We have ups and downs in family,” Jason hedged when asked about the rift, which Harry, 40, has repeatedly shared about in interviews, as well as his memoir, Spare.

The reason William hasn’t come out with his side of the story? “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,” added Jason, “and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same. But I will say of course it’s been hard and sad especially for all of us who know both of them.”