Six bombshells from new Prince William documentary from ‘lowest moment’ to brotherly feud

The documentary focused on Prince William (Image: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Prince William is the focus of a new documentary released yesterday where never-before-heard stories and insights about the future King have been revealed.

A special episode of 60 Minutes Australia aired on Sunday, which saw the Prince and Princess of Wales's former communications secretary Jason Knauf speak openly about his time with William.

Not only did Jason work for the couple between 2015 and 2021, along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but he also formed a close bond with William.

Despite no longer being a staff member, it is believed this friendship still exists, with Jason having been told about Princess Kate’s cancer last year before the whole world knew.

While plenty was said during the 60-minute interview, which heard from a number of royal experts and insiders, here at Express.co.uk we have summarised the six biggest bombshells to come from the documentary:

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In the interview, Jason recalled how last year Prince William, 42, had one of his “lowest” moments after his wife Princess Kate, 43, was diagnosed with cancer.

While William himself said last year that the last few months had been “brutal” for the family, especially as King Charles was also diagnosed with cancer, Jason gave further insight into how the prince really did cope with this.

Speaking in the interview, Jason recalled the moment he found out about the diagnosis from Prince William.

He said: "Within a couple of weeks if you're Prince William, you find out that both your wife and your father have cancer. I couldn't believe it. It was awful, absolutely awful. It's the lowest I've ever seen him.”

Jason also confirmed that the reason the news was not confirmed to the world sooner was because both William and Kate were trying to find the best way to confirm the news to their three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

Jason Knauf is believed to have a close friendship with Prince William (Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Jason also discussed how he had a mishap shortly after the birth of Princess Charlotte that could have changed the course of the royal announcement.

Before the media knew of Charlotte’s birth, the Prince and Princess of Wales told Jason, with their former staff member being one of the first people to know as reported by Hello!.

However, while Jason had to keep it a secret, he lost a piece of paper he was set to use for a press release announcing the birth, with the paper containing all of these secret details.

He said on the documentary: “We weren't going to announce it for another couple hours and I had this piece of paper to go write this press release. I'm still out there with hundreds of journalists trying to have a game face, and then I couldn't find the piece of paper, and I think I had dropped it somewhere on the street. We managed to get through, but not announce it.

“But somewhere on that street the entire time was a piece of paper that said there had been a little princess born, what time and how much she weighed. It was one of those things, like, heart in mouth until we got to the announcement and I got through it. I never found it and neither did any of the media though. So that's all that really mattered."

Jason said it was 'awful' when he heard out about Princess Kate's cancer (Image: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Jason also revealed in the documentary that Prince William and Princess Kate both had worries about their three children, especially as they would grow up in the spotlight.

He described the couple as being “worried” about their children, especially as a result of social media.

He said: “I think the biggest thing we've talked about most especially in those early years was how he and the Princess were going to prepare their children for life in the public eye.

"His childhood in front of the media was quite difficult at times. And then he knew that he was going to be raising his kids to deal with social media and mobile phones. I definitely saw the worried mum and dad behind the scenes, but a lot less in recent years, which has been fantastic for them as a family."

Meghan Markle's bullying allegations were addressed in the documentary (Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Jason also spoke out about what it felt like to be at the centre of the scandal in regards to bullying accusations made against Meghan Markle.

In October 2018, while working for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as their communications secretary, Mr Knauf made a bullying complaint against Meghan and emailed his concerns to William’s then-private secretary in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. The duchess has always vehemently denied the allegations.

Jason’s email where he voiced concerns about Meghan’s behaviour towards staff was leaked to The Times just days before Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Speaking on 60 Minutes Australia, Mr Knauf spoke about the media storm that came after the email was leaked. He said [on whether it was difficult]: "I think it, it's tough, but it's probably quite good. You know someone who has been helping other people through how to deal with the public eye. You probably had to take your own medicine sometimes.

"You can't choose just to take the fun stuff in any job. And that applies to the Prince and Princess [of Wales] as well as everyone else working for them. So I wouldn't change anything.”

A former royal butler said Harry and William used to be 'a team' (Image: Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

As well as Jason talking on the documentary, other people who know and have worked in close proximity to William also revealed some surprising information on the show.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales between 2004 and 2011, revealed that while William may not be talking to his younger brother Prince Harry, 40, since the release of his memoir Spare in 2023, he is likely to still want him at his Coronation.

Harrold said: "I have no doubt that William would want his brother to be, not so much maybe to play a part in it [his coronation], but certainly to be there."

Harrold also said that despite the fact Harry quit royal life in 2020, it is likely the Duke of Sussex will still want to be there to support William when his time to reign comes.

The former butler said in the documentary: “It appears to be he's (Harry) quite happy with his new life and his way of doing things, which is, you couldn't get further away from the Royal Family if you could by what he's doing.

“But in saying that, I still think he would be there to support his brother as he has been for his father."

The ex-royal butler then revealed how the relationship with the brothers has “completely changed” in recent years, despite the fact they were once “a team”.

The family may never call London home again (Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Another bombshell revelation in the documentary was made by Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor for The Sunday Times, who said she believes Prince William and Princess Kate will ever move back to London full time.

Despite originally living in London’s Kensington Palace, the couple decided to relocate in 2022 to a cottage on the Windsor Castle estate where the family can live a more private and ordinary life.

Their current home has no live-in staff and plenty of private grounds to allow the three children to play in.

Talking about William and Kate’s future, Roya said: “I don't see a time where they move permanently back into London. Their private office will be in London. You don't need to move back in to keep the flow of monarchy going. Of course, the pressures on William and Catherine when they're King and Queen will be bigger, but I still don't think that the institution for William and Kate will come before family."