A senior aide to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has made a surprising gesture towards their former colleague who accused the Duchess of Sussex of bullying Palace staff.
James Holt, executive director of the Sussexes' Archewell Foundation, has been liking LinkedIn posts praising Jason Knauf's work with Prince William's Earthshot Prize.
The social media activity comes despite Knauf being the royal aide who formally complained about Meghan's alleged treatment of staff in 2018.
Holt liked a post where Knauf discussed how Prince William was bringing together "visionary leaders, thinkers, entrepreneurs, and investors to supercharge the rollout of solutions to our planet's urgent challenges."
Harry and Meghan's aide sends public olive branch to William’s top adviser, who accused the Duchess of bullying.
PA / Getty
The gesture automatically shared the post on Holt's own LinkedIn feed, making his support publicly visible.
The relationship between Knauf and the Sussexes deteriorated dramatically after he raised concerns about Meghan's behaviour towards royal staff.
In 2018, he sent an internal email stating: "I am very concerned that the Duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X was totally unacceptable."
He added: "The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence."
James Holt publicly liked Jason Knauf's LinkedIn post.
LinkedIn / Jason Knauf
The Duchess of Sussex has consistently denied these allegations, describing them as an orchestrated smear campaign.
Prince Harry addressed the claims in the couple's Netflix documentary, calling it "institutional gaslighting" and suggesting it was retaliation for "speaking truth to power".
Knauf, who was once exceptionally close to the couple, quit the royal household after making his complaint.
Holt's social media activity extended beyond supporting Knauf's work. He also liked two posts by Helen Cook, assistant private secretary to King Charles III, and "celebrated" a post showing the monarch marking 25 years of the Royal Drawing School.
Prince Harry and James Holt pictured at the Invictus Games in 2022.
Getty
A source close to Holt told the Mail that Cook is an old friend and former colleague from their time working together in Downing Street.
Regarding his support for Knauf's Earthshot posts, the source noted that Holt was part of the Royal Foundation team that helped design the environmental prize and was simply being supportive of a worthy cause.
The timing of these interactions has raised eyebrows among royal observers, coming just weeks after Prince Harry's BBC interview, where he made a public plea for reconciliation with his family.
Holt may have recently returned to the UK from California for family reasons, five years after the Sussexes moved to North America following their royal exit.
Jason Knauf speaking at the Earthshot Prize Awards in 2021.
PA
The timing is particularly significant given Prince Harry's recent High Court defeat over taxpayer-funded security, after which he told the BBC he wanted reconciliation with his family.
The Duke claimed his father was not speaking to him because of the legal battle.
Knauf, who Prince William appointed CEO of his Earthshot Prize in April, has continued to stand by his allegations of bullying. In February, he said he "wouldn't change a thing" and has "no regrets" about his complaint.
GB News has contacted Holt for a comment.
Most Read
