Kate Middleton and Prince William pay tribute to close aide

A  close aide of Prince William and Kate Middleton has resigned after serving the royal couple for seven years.

Jason Knauf, the chief executive of Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal Foundation, had  joined Kensington Palace in 2015 and will leave the role at the end of this year.

A statement issued by the royal couple said “Jason has been an integral part of our team since 2015."

It said, "We are immensely grateful for his hard work and commitment, both at The Royal Foundation and previously as our communications secretary."

The couple said "Since taking over as chief executive, Jason has driven positive change, making our vision for our charitable work and the causes that matter most to us a reality