Prince William presented Jaco van Gass, a friend of Prince Harry’s, with a prestigious royal honor amid lingering family drama.
Van Gass, 38, was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on Wednesday, June 25, for his services to cycling.
William, 43, presided over the investiture ceremony as part of his duties as the Prince of Wales, also knighting Gareth Southgate.
“Congratulations Sir Gareth Southgate on a well-deserved knighthood,” a Wednesday, June 25, post on William’s official Instagram account read. “From your Crystal Palace debut to being England Manager. Thank you for everything you’ve done for football 🎖️.”
Jaco, a Paralympic champion, and wife Kathryn van Gass also celebrated the honor on social media.
“Jaco van Gass OBE,” Kathryn wrote via her Instagram Stories hours later on Thursday, June 26, sharing a photo of her spouse outside the Buckingham Palace gates.
Jaco, who previously received an MBE in 2022, has been friends with William’s brother for many years. He and Harry, now 40, both walked more than 200 miles to the South Pole in 2013 on behalf of charity Walking With the Wounded.
“This extraordinary expedition will raise awareness of the debt that this country owes to those it sends off to fight — only for them to return wounded and scarred, physically and emotionally,” Harry recalled of the experience in a 2016 British GQ profile. “The debt extends beyond immediate medical care and short-term rehabilitation. These men and women have given so much. We must recognize their sacrifice, be thankful, so far as we can ever repay them for it.”
Jaco, an amputee, also competed at Harry’s Invictus Games several times and took home multiple gold medals.
“[Harry] is a good lad and very down to earth,” Jaco told The Independent in August 2021 of competing in the Games. “I like a little team environment. I think it’s the common interest of giving our best, being the best athlete and the best individuals that we are.”
Harry stepped back from his duties as a senior working royal in 2020, opting to live a more private life with wife Meghan Markle and their two children in Montecito, California. In that time, Harry has become estranged from William.
“Harry and Meghan are highlighting a life of fun and lightness while William’s is dominated by duty and public service,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in the latest cover story. “They are worlds apart.”
The source further claimed to Us that William still holds resentment toward his sibling. (William and Harry are the two sons of King Charles III and late ex-wife Princess Diana.)
“Harry left a large gap in William’s world, not just personally but practically,” the insider added. “The whole idea was for Harry to work hand-in-hand with William and to divide and conquer during William’s monarchy. So Harry not being there is tough. He feels deserted by his brother — not that he would ever say that out loud.”
