Author: bang5

Royal fans were elated when Princess Kate and Prince William announced the birth of their second child, but their happy news was nearly revealed earlier than planned due to an awkward mishap

There was great excitement on 2 May 2015 when it was revealed that Prince William and Princess Kate had welcomed their second child together, a baby girl.

The announcement of a royal birth is always a carefully orchestrated affair. But Princess Charlotte’s happy arrival was nearly tainted by disaster, according to a former royal aide. Jason Knauf, a previous advisor to William and Kate, claims a major mishap at the time meant the news could have been leaked before the Palace planned to announce it.

As with the arrival of their first baby Prince George in 2013, William and Kate wanted some time alone with their newborn before sharing the news with the world. And while the couple enjoyed their baby bubble, Jason was tasked with drafting the official announcement, which included information on Charlotte’s birth, including her time of birth and weight.

In a new 60 Minutes Australia documentary, Jason explained: “We weren’t going to announce it for another couple of 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.”

He continued: “Oh my God. Which 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.”

When asked if he had ever found the slip, Jason responded: “No, I never found it and neither did any of the media though. So that’s all that really mattered.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Jason opened up about Kate’s cancer diagnosis, revealing why the family didn’t share the news with the general public immediately. “They didn’t want to say yet that she had cancer because they hadn’t told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children,” the couple’s former royal aide said.

Jason also talked about Prince William’s heartbreaking reaction to the devastating news, telling the programme: “It was awful, absolutely awful…It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him.” He continued: “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.”

Princess Kate, 43, first announced that she was undergoing cancer treatment in March 2024. A few months later, in September, she shared that she had completed chemotherapy. In January 2025, Kate revealed that she was in “remission” and focused on recovery. King Charles’ cancer diagnosis was announced in February 2024, a month before the Princess of Wales ‘ diagnosis was publicly shared.

Jason Knauf, who was previously the chief executive of the Prince and Princess of Waleses’ Royal Foundation has revealed how he talked to Prince William on the phone following Kate’s cancer diagnosis

Prince William’s former royal aide has described him as being at his ‘lowest’ after his wife the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer.

Jason Knauf was formerly chief executive of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation, stepping down at the end of 2021, and also previously worked for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Both the King and the Princess of Wales were treated for cancer last year. Kate is now in remission and Charles is having ongoing treatment.

In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Mr Knauf 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.”

The Princess of Wales revealed last March she had received a cancer diagnosis
Describing a devastating phone call with William about Kate’s diagnosis, which was made public in March last year, Mr Knauf said: “It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him. But the problem was that all this crazy conspiracy theory stuff kicked off in the background, online. ‘Was she really ill?’.

“But they didn’t want to say yet that she had cancer because they hadn’t told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children.” Mr Knauf said what he used to talk about the ‘most’ in the past with William was “how he and the princess were going to prepare their children for life in the public eye”.

He added: “His childhood in front of the media was quite difficult at times, and he knew that he was going to be raising his kids to deal with social media and mobile phones and all of that stuff.”

Former royal aide Jason Knauf ( 
Image:
9 Now)
In October 2018, while working for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as their communications secretary, Mr Knauf made a bullying complaint against Meghan – emailing his concerns to William’s then-private secretary, in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. The duchess’s legal team strenuously denied the allegation.

Discussing William’s relationship with Harry, Mr Knauf said: “It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he’s chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, 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.”

Mr Knauf was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List. Before joining the royal household the American-born former corporate affairs executive worked for a range of institutions, from the office of the New Zealand prime minister to HM Treasury and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The former aide led a review of the Royal Foundation’s role and structure from March 2019, before becoming its chief executive in September of that year. He also oversaw the launch of the Foundation’s Earthshot Prize – William’s £50 million environmental prize, now an independent charity, which recognises solutions, ideas and technologies that “repair the planet”.

Meghan Markle has shared new content on her Instagram account – including one short clip in which she seems to pay tribute to Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana

Meghan Markle has seemingly paid tribute to Princess Diana in a new video shared on her Instagram stories.

The Duchess of Sussex filmed herself in a series of clips walking around the garden her and Prince Harry’s Montecito mansion. And in one snippet, she can be seen wearing the purple Northwestern sweater made famous by the late royal.

Diana was photographed wearing the distinctive jumper back in 1996; she was gifted it during a visit to Northwestern’s Evanston campus one year prior. And Meghan has now worn an identical version in new content for her social media channel.

Meghan has her own strong ties to the university. She studied for a double major in theatre and international studies at Northwestern in Illinois, before graduating in 2003.

Meghan filmed herself in the garden of her California home ( 
Image:
meghan/Instagram)

Princess Diana famously wore the same sweatshirt back in 1996

After leaving the college she moved back to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an actress, landing various movie and small screen roles such as Deal or No Deal before getting her big break on Suits after being cast as Rachel Zane. But her acting career came to an end when she met and fell in love with Harry.

Meghan’s latest stories show glimpses of family life at the Sussexes’ California home, and were captioned: “A small break from work to soak in the weekend sunshine.”

Harry, meanwhile, has compared Meghan to his late mother on a number of occasions. In the first episode of the Netflix series, Harry and Meghan, the Duke of Sussex said: “So much of what Meghan is, and how she is, is so similar to my mum. She has the same compassion, she has the same empathy, she has the same confidence. She has this warmth about her.”

As he spoke, clips of Meghan and Diana were interspersed with one another, including one video of Diana holding a young Harry on her hip as she walked behind Prince William, followed by a clip showing Meghan and the couple’s son Archie, holding hands and running in a garden.

Another video showed Meghan holding Archie in her arms and rubbing her nose against his as he holds her face. It was followed by a clip of Diana holding Harry in a similar way, with his face close to hers.

Over a video of one of Harry and Meghan’s children babbling at a photo of Diana, a voiceover by Harry said: “I accept that there’ll be people around the world who fundamentally disagree with what I’ve done and how I’ve done it, but I knew that I had to do everything I could to protect my family. Especially after what happened to my mum. You know, I didn’t want history to repeat itself,” he added.

Diana died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, when she was 36-years-old. Harry was just 12 at the time of her death and Prince William was 15.

Jason Knauf, a former royal aide, who worked for the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has given an explosive TV interview

The former royal aide who made a bullying complaint against Meghan Markle has given a bombshell TV interview, and he hasn’t held back.

Jason Knauf worked for both Prince Harry and Meghan as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales during his time at Kensington Palace. The former communications secretary then went on to become chief executive of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation and was also honoured by William for his work in 2023.

And in an extraordinary chat with Australian TV, Mr Knauf, who is still close to Prince William, lifts the lid on life behind palace walls, speaking publicly for the first time about the Meghan bullying allegations as well as the true toll Kate’s cancer diagnosis has had on William. Here we break down his biggest bombshells…

Meghan claims

Mr Knauf hit headlines in 2021 when it emerged he made a bullying complaint against Meghan – emailing his concerns to Prince William’s then-private secretary, in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. Meghan has always strenuously denied the allegations, with her team branding them a “calculated smear campaign”.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the Invictus Games earlier this month ( 
Image:
WireImage)

And in his new interview with 60 Minutes Australia, he speaks about the media storm for the first time after it emerged he had raised concerns – saying he wouldn’t “change anything”.

He explained: “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.” When asked if he had any regrets from his time in the role, he replied: “No, it’s not what I would’ve sought, but you know, at the end of the day, you get to do an amazing job. You’ve got to take everything that comes with it.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Knauf also said he wishes Harry and Meghan “the absolute best” and added: “We had lots of great times, working on their wedding was an amazing magical experience and I wish them absolutely all the best with their lovely family.”

Devastating phone call

Although Mr Knauf no longer works for the Prince and Princess of Wales, he is still a close confidant. And in his interview, he talks about how he received the shock news that Kate had received a cancer diagnosis – and a heartbreaking phone call he had with William.

Mr Knauf recalled a heartbreaking phone call with William about Kate’s cancer diagnosis ( 
Image:
AP)
He revealed: “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.” Describing a devastating phone call with William about Kate’s diagnosis, which was made public in March last year, Mr Knauf said: “It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him.”

Fears for children

News of Kate’s cancer diagnosis last year came after cruel conspiracy theories ran rife on social media about her whereabouts. And Mr Knauf has now revealed the true toll that this had on the Waleses.

He said: “The problem was that all this crazy conspiracy theory stuff kicked off in the background, online. ‘Was she really ill?’.

William and Kate with their three children George, Charlotte and Louis ( 
Image:
PA)
“But they didn’t want to say yet that she had cancer because they hadn’t told the children and they were still working through how to tell the children.” Mr Knauf said what he used to talk about the ‘most’ in the past with William was “how he and the princess were going to prepare their children for life in the public eye”.

He added: “His childhood in front of the media was quite difficult at times, and he knew that he was going to be raising his kids to deal with social media and mobile phones and all of that stuff.”

Harry rift

As Mr Knauf worked for both William and Harry, he knows both brothers, who are embroiled in a bitter rift, well. And when asked about their estrangement, he described the situation as “hard and sad”.

Warring brothers William and Harry ( 
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)He explained: “It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he’s chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, 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.”

Charlotte birth blunder

The interview did contain some lighter moments, with Mr Knauf also revealing how he also committed a major faux pas when it came to announcing the birth of Princess Charlotte in 2015.

As with the arrival of their first baby Prince George in 2013, William and Kate wanted some time alone with their newborn before sharing the news with the world. And while the couple enjoyed their baby bubble, Jason was tasked with drafting the official announcement, which included information on Charlotte’s birth, including her time of birth and weight.

William and Kate with Princess Charlotte shortly after her birth ( 
Image:
PA)But chaos nearly ensued, as Mr Knauf explained: “We weren’t going to announce it for another couple of 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.”

He continued: “Oh my God. Which 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.”

When asked if he had ever found the slip, Jason responded: “No, I never found it and neither did any of the media though. So that’s all that really mattered.”

William’s beard

In another cheery moment, Mr Knauf is also asked about a new feature when it comes to William – his beard.

Prince William has been sporting a beard in recent months ( 
Image:
UK Press via Getty Images)
When asked his opinion on the facial hair, he said: “I love it, I think it’s great, but I’ve talked to him about it or tried to talk to him about and he’s like ‘It’s here, I have a beard, no further conversation’.’ When probed whether wife Kate was also a fan, he quickly replied: “If she didn’t like it, it wouldn’t be there. I can tell you that!”

Meanwhile, Mr Knauf was also pressed on what kind of King Prince William would make. He revealed: “The thing I have heard from Prince William is you’re going to do this in your own way. Every generation of the Royal Family has to reinvent the role for the generation that they serve.”

He also revealed that there are no formal lessons on how to do the top job and that “private family conversations, learning by doing” is the key to preparations. When asked if Harry’s role could change once William is King, he cryptically replied: “I can’t speculate on the future. They achieved a lot together and none of that can ever be taken away.

“This may be an extraordinary family that everyone gets to talk about and write about and see, be interviewed and all that sort of stuff. But at the end of the day, it’s a family.”

Andrew Lownie, who has spent four years digging into Prince Andrew’s life. claims far less attention has been paid to how the duke has been able to finance his extravagant lifestyle.

A controversial new book claims Prince Andrew’s financial affairs are present an immediate issue to the Queen’s son, according to its author who has spent four years digging into the duke’s life.

Andrew Lownie claims the King’s brother’s association with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo has raised questions about his finances. The author not only scrutinises Andrew’s business activities but also that of his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, along with their daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34.

His book, The Lives of the Duke and Duchess of York, is not released until later this year, but in an interview in The Sunday Times, Mr Lownie claims the public narrative about Andrew is that he spends a lonely life trapped in Royal Lodge, going for horse rides in Windsor Great Park and playing video games and golf – but he alleges the reality is quite different.

Mr Lownie claims the Duchess of York is caught up in the financial affairs of the Duke ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Prince Andrew has been investigated ( 
Image:
PA)
He details how, according to one source, Andrew has continued his business activities with recent trips to the Middle East and Switzerland, adding “The King can only hope there are no further scandals to emerge and the press and public soon lose interest in his brother, on present evidence, that is very unlikely.”

Mr Lownie alleges that as many focus on the prince’s association with Jeffrey Epstein and the claims made by Virginia Giuffre, far less attention is paid to how the duke has been able to finance his extravagant lifestyle.

The Duke’s finances are a long-standing issue, with speculation about how he could afford to live in the 32-room Royal Lodge, to buy a Swiss chalet for £18 million and to acquire a collection of luxury watches as well as garage of luxury cars, including a £220,000 Bentley and a string of Range Rovers.

The Prince can afford a luxury lifestyle ( 
Image:
UK Press via Getty Images)Mr Lownie however, says researching Andrew has been a “remarkably difficult process” claiming that although there should be “thousands of publicly available files relating to his time as special representative for the decade up to 2011”. However, he says both the Foreign Office and Department of Business and Trade claim to have nothing on record.

He claims he has asked for dozens of requests under the Freedom of Information act but has been denied again and again. Mr Lownie said: “These difficulties have been compounded by the additional protection afforded to the royal family, even though Andrew’s time as special representative was as a taxpayer-funded public servant and Buckingham Palace now claim he is no longer a royal.

The royal family is largely exempt from the Freedom of Information Act; there is a convention that parliamentary questions are not asked about the family. “Wills, even those of the most minor members, are closed, making it difficult to trace wealth.

“There was controversy after Prince Philip died when the application to ensure his will was closed for 90 years was held in a secret hearing, amid suspicion that the initially penniless prince died a rich man. We do not know what was in Queen Elizabeth’s will, including what she left her son Andrew.”

Jason Knauf worked for both the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – and he made a telling remark when asked about the brothers’ rift

The Royal Family steadfastly maintained their silence amid a flurry of accusations from Prince Harry following his exit from the Firm.

While both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex levelled a series of claims against the monarchy, both King Charles and Prince William didn’t respond.

But now one of William’s closest former aides has broken his silence on the tensions between the warring brothers in an explosive new TV interview.

Jason Knauf, who worked for the Prince and Princess of Wales from 2015 to 2022, has filmed a segment for the Australian show 60 Minutes Australia. And he was asked about the fall-out between Harry and his family.

Former royal aide Jason Knauf ( 
Image:
9 Now)

Summing up William’s broken relationship with Harry, Mr Knauf said: “It’s been hard and sad.” He explained: “It’s very difficult to have this stuff play out in the public eye, but he’s [William] chosen to keep his thoughts on it private, and I think all of us who know him really have to respect that we should do the same.

The former advisor continued: “But I will say, of course, it’s been hard and sad, especially for all of us who know both of them.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Knauf said William had been at his “lowest” after his wife, the Princess of Wales, was diagnosed with cancer. “It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him,” he revealed.

“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.”

Both the King and Princess Kate were treated for cancer last year. Kate is now in remission and Charles is having ongoing treatment.

Jason previously made a bullying complaint against Meghan Markle
Jason also previously worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In October 2018, while working for the couple as their communications secretary, he made a bullying complaint against Meghan.

He wrote of his concerns to William’s then private secretary in an email, in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. The duchess’s legal team strenuously denied the allegation.

Speaking about the publicity that came at the time, Jason said: “You can’t choose just to take the fun stuff in any job. And that applies to the prince and princess as well as everyone else working for them. So I wouldn’t change anything.”

He added: “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.”

Asked if he had regrets about his time in the role, Jason said, “No. It’s not what I would have sought, but, you know, at the end of the day, you get to do an amazing job. You’ve got to take everything that comes with it.”

Jason was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List. He also helped to launch the Earthshot Prize – William’s £50 million environmental prize, which is now an independent charity.

It’s no secret that royal followers love William’s rugged facial hair – and now a former aide to the Prince has revealed what his wife Princess Kate thinks of his beard…

Prince William’s beard has gone down a storm with royal fans – but what does his wife Princess Kate actually think about his new look?

The future king first debuted his rugged facial hair last summer when he appeared in a video alongside Kate to congratulate Team GB athletes. And it seems as though it’s here to stay, with William continuing to rock his beard in the many months that have followed

Now his former communications secretary and close confidant, Jason Knauf, has filmed for a special episode of 60 Minutes Australia and shared some surprising royal revelations, including details of a major mishap over the birth of Princess Charlotte, and how the Prince of Wales dealt with his wife’s cancer diagnosis.

He was also asked about William’s newly grown facial hair. “I love it. I think it’s great. But I’ve talked to him about it or tried to talk to him about it. He’s like, ‘It’s here. I have a beard. No further conversation’,” Jason said.

When asked if Kate was a fan of the beard, he mused: “If she didn’t like it, it wouldn’t be there. I could tell you that!”

While Kate might be a fan, it seems the couple’s daughter Princess Charlotte took some convincing. William was asked about his stubble at the end of a four-day visit to Cape Town in November, and he admitted: “Charlotte didn’t like it the first time. I got floods of tears the first time I grew a beard, so I had to shave it off. And then I grew it back. I thought, hang on a second and I convinced her it was going to be okay.”

When one of the reporters told the Prince that his new facial hair gives him a laid-back, ‘relaxed’ look, William expressed surprise. “It’s interesting you say that, because I couldn’t be less relaxed this year, so it’s very interesting you’re all seeing that,” he said of the previous 12 months, which saw both his wife, Princess Kate, and father, King Charles, diagnosed with cancer. “But it’s more a case of just crack on and you’ve got to keep going,” he said.

It comes after Prince Harry once claimed that William was jealous of his beard, and the fact he was allowed to have facial hair at his wedding, whereas William was not.

According to military dress codes at the time, Harry should have been clean-shaven while wearing the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. But he sought special permission from the Queen – something that reportedly infuriated his sibling.

Harry wrote about ‘beard-gate’ in his tell-all memoir Spare . “And yet I now dared to make another ask – Granny, please, may I, for my wedding, keep my beard? Not a small ask either,” he said. “A beard was thought by some to be a clear violation of protocol and long-standing norms, especially since I was getting married in my Army uniform. Beards were forbidden in the British Army.”

When William found out he had been granted permission, Harry said he “became livid” and claimed his older brother said: “You put her in an uncomfortable position, Harold! She had no choice but to say yes.”

According to Harry, William would not let the issue drop, with the argument continuing for more than a week. It reportedly culminated with William ordering Harry to shave it off.

The Duke claimed he responded by saying: “For the love of God, Willy, why does this matter so much to you? ‘Because I wasn’t allowed to keep my beard.’ Ah, there it was. After he’d come back from an assignment with Special Forces, Willy was sporting a full beard, and someone told him to be a good boy, run along and shave it. He hated the idea of me enjoying a perk he’d been denied.”

Jason Knauf, who worked at Kensington Palace, for both the Prince and Princess of Wales as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has spoken out publicly in an extraordinary TV interview

A former royal aide who was at the centre of the Meghan Markle bullying allegations has revealed his three-word message for the Sussexes.

Jason Knauf previously worked at Kensington Palace for both Prince Harry and Meghan, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales as their communications secretary. He later became chief executive of William and Kate’s Royal Foundation and is still considered a close confidant of the Prince of Wales.

In 2021, he hit headlines when it emerged that in 2018, he made a bullying complaint against Meghan – emailing his concerns to William’s then-private secretary, in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. Meghan has always strenuously denied the allegations, with her team branding them a “calculated smear campaign”.

Former royal aide Jason Knauf during an appearance on 60 Minutes Australia ( 
Image:
9 Now)
Now, in an interview on Australian TV for 60 Minutes Australia, Mr Knauf said he wishes Harry and Meghan “the absolute best” and added: “We had lots of great times, working on their wedding was an amazing magical experience and I wish them absolutely all the best with their lovely family.”

In 2021, it emerged that several years prior, Mr Knauf sent an email to William’s then-private secretary, Simon Case, saying: “I am very concerned that the Duchess [Meghan] was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X [name removed] was totally unacceptable.

“The Duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y [name removed] and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y [name removed].”

Meghan’s lawyers said the claims were a “calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation”. An internal review into the claims was launched by Buckingham Palace but never made public. And when asked about this time in the interview, he insists how he wouldn’t “change anything”.

Mr Knauf receives an honour from William in 2023 ( 
Image:
PA)
He explained: “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.” When asked if he had any regrets from his time in the role, he replied: “No, it’s not what I would’ve sought, but you know, at the end of the day, you get to do an amazing job. You’ve got to take everything that comes with it.”

Also in the interview, Mr Knauf revealed that William was at his ‘lowest” after Kate was diagnosed with cancer. Both the King and the Princess of Wales were treated for cancer last year. Kate is now in remission and Charles is having ongoing treatment.

Describing a phone call with William about Kate’s diagnosis, which was made public in March last year, Mr Knauf said: “It was awful, absolutely awful. It’s the lowest I’ve ever seen him.”

Mr Knauf was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours List and was presented with his award by William. Before joining the royal household the American-born former corporate affairs executive worked for a range of institutions, from the office of the New Zealand prime minister to HM Treasury and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Mr Knauf led a review of the Royal Foundation’s role and structure from March 2019, before becoming its chief executive in September of that year. He oversaw the launch of the Foundation’s Earthshot Prize – William’s £50 million environmental prize, now an independent charity, which recognises solutions, ideas and technologies that “repair the planet”.

King Charles visited Burton upon Trent today where he visited the family run business Tower Brewery – and he got to sample both one of its beers as well as a ‘supercharged’ spirit

King Charles could not resist sampling the local beer and a ‘supercharged’ spirit made with hops during a visit to the home of British brewing.

His Majesty was in Burton upon Trent today to visit Tower Brewery, a small, family-run business that has been based in the local area for 24 years. The King pulled a pint of Gone for a Burton, a traditional mid-strength beer that is one of the brewery’s popular special brands.

Owner John Mills, who joined the monarch behind the small bar, said: “Are you going to have a slurp of that, Sir?” The King chuckled, noting that if not, he was “in the wrong place.” Holding up his glass, he said: “To your very good health,” before taking a sip. “Are you selling this all over the place?” he asked.

King Charles pulls a pint at Tower Brewery in Burton upon Trent today ( 
Image:
PA)
Mr Mills then told the King about a 41 per cent proof liquor he had created with a colleague called The Spirit of Burton, explaining that it could not be called a whiskey as it is not matured but was a distilled version of one of his strong IPAs. The King sniffed the clear liquid before taking a sip. “Mmmm.. Interesting,” he said, with a laugh, adding: “Yes, it’s supercharged.”

The King then stood on a small platform to watch Mr Mills open the brewing steam hatch, which demonstrates the gravity-fed brewing process. Aided by the height of the tower, it uses gravity to feed the grist case and supply the water pressure.

The King was given a potted history of the town’s brewing background from Dr Harry White, chair of the National Brewing Centre in Burton. “I’m learning fast,” he said, before telling an aide who tried to move him along: “I’m having a fascinating history lesson.”

The King samples the beer on offer ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Dr White told the monarch how India Pale Ale had become synonymous with Burton after the first beers were shipped from the town to India in 1822. The King asked if IPA was still made locally but was told that the term IPA was now overused.

Charles was given a bottle of The Spirit of Burton to take home, as well as several bottles of IPA and a bottle of 1902 King’s Ale, which was brewed by the newly crowned Edward VII in 1902 during a visit to the Bass brewery.

Earlier, the King also helped out on the JCB production line as he wished “many happy returns” for the firm’s 80th birthday.

The King helps to fit a tyre during a visit to JCB World Headquarters ( 
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Charles, 76, was given a tour of JCB World Headquarters, in Staffordshire by billionaire chairman Lord Bamford. He helped fit a wheel with team leader Becky Bayliss, 32, who said his effort was “perfect”. Charles later also helped fill up a new JCB Backhoe Loader with hydrogen.

And he also greeted 100-year-old Ken Harrison who worked on the original factory floor when it opened in 1945. Around 3,500 staff, almost the entire workforce, lined up outside waving Union Flags to cheer the King as he departed. Lord Bamford then delivered a speech in front of JCB’s one millionth Backhoe Loader.

Speaking afterwards Becky said: “He was a little unsure if he managed to get the nut all the way up but the way he handled it was perfect.” Charles toured the vast warehouse set in 175 acres, shaking hands with staff and apprentices. He also viewed JCB’s new combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen and said: “And it takes three or four minutes to fill up?”

Charles plugs in a hydrogen pipe to one of the machines ( 
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)The King also got to meet students and graduates including Rhys Bradbury, 29, who he saw in 2011, who is now JCB sales operations manager for Scandinavia. More than 3,500 students have graduated since it was opened and currently has 1,000 pupils and 250 apprentices.

Meanwhile, meeting centenarian Ken, who worked for JCB for 36 years, he said: “Are you sure you should be here today? I’m very impressed. It must have done some good, I must say, to get to one hundred. Fantastic. And able to get about still, good. It’s quite a place here.” Charles added: “I hope you got your message on your hundredth birthday? I’m so glad the system works.”

Standing in front of JCB’s one millionth Backhoe digger, Lord Bamford gave a speech to King and staff gathered in the reception. He said: “I was most pleased for you to see the progress we have made in the development in hydrogen internal combustion engines

“We see an enormous emission free future in these engines both in machinery but also trucks, buses and possibly even in cars.” Showing King the one millionth Backhoe Loader he said was invented by his father in 1953.

The King enjoyed a special guard of honour when he arrived at the factory ( 
Image:
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)And he added: “Before that most trenches were dug by humans withs shovels. What an increase in productivity this machine has brought to the world and also how many bad backs there haven’t been as well.”

Charles turned to Lord Bamford and said: “Many happy returns for the 80th.” Outside the entire JCB World Headquarters staff lined up to cheer the King on his way. They included Annette Allerton, whose mother used to work in the canteen,who attracted Charles to her two shih tzu dogs Lottie, 8, and 10-year-old Bindy.

Fox News Personality Kat Timpf Breaks Hip While Pregnant

 Being pregnant can put an intense amount of strain on the body, as Kat Timpf found out when she suffered from a broken hip.

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The Zach Bryan Drama

Through her social media platforms, Kat Timpf has been quite public about her pregnancy. She has made numerous posts about it, and the struggles she has faced. It has been both physically and emotionally straining for her, and she’s happy to talk about it.

This has garnered a lot of support from other women out there who have also gone through the process. Getting knocked up, although initially very easy to do, quickly becomes quite the ordeal apparently. Recently, due to the stress of the pregnancy on her body, Kat Timpf has suffered a broken hip.

This can happen naturally, simply due to the added weight of a child on the hip, as Timpf discovered. She was seen hobbling to the voting booth just before the election.

She let her fans know she wasn’t going to let anything hold her back. “I’m on crutches right now because my doctor thinks I have a stress factor from being pregnant,” she said, swinging herself through the city. “She wants me on crutches every moment that I’m not on stage.”

Support For Kat Timpf Amid Pregnancy Hip Troubles

Since her hip incident, pregnant Kat Timpf has had plenty of support from fellow women, sympathizing with her struggle.

In the various posts she has shared, sporting a very fashionable pink crutch, fans have reached out.

“You’re amazing!!!!! Working, prego, and hip issues. Most people would curl up in bed. ????.

Prayers for you girl,” one woman says. It takes perseverance to carry on, even while in pain, and heavily pregnant. She is due around the new year so that baby is getting big. This leaves little space for Kat Timpf to let her hip get better.

Another loving fan gives praise to Kat Timpf while she struggles with her broken hip.

“I’m happy you are following the doctor’s orders even though you have a hectic schedule take care of yourself and baby and try to slow down a little if you can, love you.” Appreciation for her dedication to her job and responsibilities amid the struggle surely helped ease the pain.