Prince William awards honour to ex-royal aide who called Meghan Markle a 'bully'

Knauf worked for the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during his years as an employee of the Royal Family.

He previously worked as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's communications secretary.

In October 2018, Knauf accused Meghan Markle of being a bully in an email.

He sent the email to Prince William’s then-private secretary and claimed the Duchess of Sussex had driven out two personal assistants and was allegedly undermining the confidence of a third.

Knauf wrote: "I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year."

He continued: "The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights,’ he continued."

Knauf added: "She [Meghan] is bullying Y [name removed] and seeking to undermine her confidence"

In 2021, a spokesperson for Meghan and Harry denied the bullying claims and said they were the victims of a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation.

The spokesperson said Meghan was "saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma".

The spokesman added: "She is determined to continue her work building compassion around the world and will keep striving to set an example for doing what is right and doing what is good."

Knauf said regarding the honour when it was first announced last year: "Working for the Prince and Princess of Wales was the honour of a lifetime.

"Receiving this recognition means more to me than I can say. I am incredibly grateful."

He stepped down from his role with the Royal Family at the end of 2021.

At the time, the Prince and Princess of Wales said they were "immensely grateful for his hard work and commitment".