Can I be the first to call bull on this headline? I’m sure Tom Bradby is pretty cool but if you know that your relationship or “friendship” with Prince Harry puts you on a pedestal or translates into you having a megaphone when it comes to royal intel… shouldn’t you be more careful with your words?
If Prince Harry is in fact heartbroken over his relationship with his family, hearing it from someone that is supposed to be a friend or confidant feels like a betrayal.
Bradby famously toured southern Africa with the Sussexes for their documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. “It was a very psychologically complex project because they were clearly in a difficult position and weren’t feeling great and I realized the extent of that the more I was there,” Bradby says appearing on ITV’s Love Your Weekend.
Discussing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s life post Megxit in California, he shares, “I think they are feeling better, yes. … So are they unhappy? No, I think they are content. The things they are doing they are quite excited by. I think he is heartbroken by the situation with his family. You don’t necessarily need to have knowledge to know that, but I think it is true.”
This resulted in every major news outlet reporting that Prince Harry is “heartbroken” and I can tell you with all confidence that this is a headline Harry would rather avoid if not ignore. He does not love this type of attention and has loathed it ever since the death of his mother.
“The situation with the family clearly isn’t ideal and it has been a very difficult year for them all,” Bradby says. “But are they unhappy out there? No, I don’t think that’s right. I think they are pretty happy actually, but I think they wrestle with their position in life. I think they all do. I think William does too. I don’t think he finds it easy.”
It has been an entire year since news of Megxit broke and Bradby reflects… “I think the whole thing has just been incredibly painful, that is obvious to everyone. It is painful all round, painful for everyone, difficult to manage. Effectively they have just decided to completely leave the royal family. That has never been done. I mean, you could go back to the Duke of Windsor but that was in very different circumstances. It’s never been done voluntarily before and no one still is absolutely clear how it is going to work.”
“There are still a lot of hurt feelings on all sides and it’s very difficult… I think the public desperately wants them to be okay and everyone to be happy and clearly that hasn’t been the situation over the past year. It is not a very easy or comfortable situation, I don’t think it was ever going to be an easy or comfortable situation,” Bradby tells Love Your Weekend.
Well, if he were considered a friend… I do believe that future access to the Duke and Duchess will be limited. That is a lot of speculation and information that you wouldn’t expect to hear from someone that other outlets insist is close to the Sussex family. Mr. Bradby is a member of the media and knows how other outlets will cling to specific details or words and create an entire story out of it. Was that not a concern when answering questions about his friends?
Obviously the last year has been hard on everyone but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have created numerous opportunities from themselves, some that we aren’t even privy to yet. Not to mention, they’ve expressed gratitude over the opportunity to spend so much time with Archie. I don’t know why I sometimes feel very protective of Harry but I do… and I think that he is confident in his decision (not to mention stubborn like his mum!) and would not ever want to be seen as weak or sulking. I’m sure he does miss his family but would he ever describe that feeling as “heartbroken” – and to the media? No way.
Let us respect their decisions and encourage their growth as long as they honor the monarchy and his grandmother in their actions.
Kinsey Schofield is the Founder of To Di For Daily and you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.