A former royal aide has revealed how Princess Charlotte's birth announcement nearly leaked in 2015 when he accidentally dropped a press release containing crucial details on a London street.
Jason Knauf, who served as press secretary to the Prince and Princess of Wales, was one of the first people to know about Charlotte's arrival on May 2, 2015.
Despite hundreds of journalists being present outside the hospital at the time, the misplaced document containing the princess's birth time and weight was never discovered.
The scene outside the hospital was one of intense media anticipation, with hundreds of journalists and photographers from around the world camping out to secure their positions.
Royal aide reveals major blunder avoided in Princess Charlotte announcement.
Getty.
"Meanwhile behind the scenes you have a very pregnant member of the Royal Family and her husband who are trying to get their lives organised for the arrival of their child," said Knauf.
The drama unfolded when Knauf realised he had misplaced the press release containing vital information about the royal birth.
The palace was not planning to make the announcement for another two hours when the document went missing.
"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," Knauf said.
Jason Knauf served as press secretary to the Prince and Princess of Wales for six years.
Knauf described the tense moments as he continued to interact with the media while knowing the document was 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," he revealed.
The former aide admitted it was a nerve-wracking experience until the official announcement was made.
"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," he said.
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Knauf discussed his time working with Prince William and Princess Kate.
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Knauf made these revelations during an appearance on 60 Minutes Australia, where he discussed his time working with the Royal Family.
He served as press secretary to the Prince and Princess of Wales from 2015 to 2021, maintaining close ties with the family afterwards.
In the same documentary, titled "Where There's A Will", Knauf also shared insights about Prince William's recent challenges.
The programme features interviews with journalists and royal aides about the future King of England, exploring what kind of leader he is likely to become.
