Prince William has embarrassed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with a new show of influence, according to a source.
José Andrés, a celebrity chef who was a close ally of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has been appointed to the judging panel of the Earthshot Prize, which is led by the Prince of Wales.
Andrés is said to hold a special place in the hearts of Meghan and Prince Harry. According to an insider, the Prince of Wales’s move has humiliated the couple.
The source told the Daily Beast: “José Andrés is a uniquely respected figure, and he was very much promoted by the Sussexes over the Covid years,” said the adviser.
“The fact that William can just poach him for Earthshot is not just humiliating for Harry and Meghan, it is a very graphic illustration of the power differential between William and Harry.
“Faced with a choice, when it comes to advancing the goals of his organisation, Andrés has chosen to be allied with the future king of England, and Harry and Meghan will have to either accept it or cut ties with him themselves.”
The chef is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals to communities in the wake of natural disasters.
World Central Kitchen was the first recipient of funding from Meghan and Harry’s Arcehwell Foundation in December 2020.
Andrés said regarding his appointment to the panel: “I am thrilled to join the Earthshot Prize Council to help showcase the changemakers pushing the boundaries of innovation and ingenuity around the world.
“In good times and hard times, I’ve seen first hand the power of food to heal and unite communities.
“Food is the best way to address some of the planet’s most pressing challenges, and I firmly believe that we must transform our food systems to be more sustainable and equitable.
“There is so much we can do to inspire the world to see food as a powerful tool for creativity and change, and Earthshot solutions are at the forefront of this movement.”
The celebrity chef has previously hailed Meghan and Prince Harry for running towards struggle.
He said: “In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the Duke and Duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know.
“They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle.”
