Tom Bradby's 'royal betrayal' on ITV which severed friendship with 'hurt' Prince William

Did Meghan Markle's explosive  ITV interview seal the fate of Royal reporter Tom Bradby's friendship with Prince William?

Journalist Tom Bradby was the mastermind behind the explosive ITV interview where Meghan Markle appeared taken aback by a question about her well-being. The same conversation also saw Prince Harry reveal that he and his brother were on "different paths".

For years, Bradby had enjoyed a close friendship with both William and Harry, attending their weddings and being a trusted contact. However, Harry later described Royal reporters as "just an extended PR arm of the Royal Family " in his Netflix documentary.

But Tom was an exception, a genuine friend. Now, it's reported that this bond was broken by the interview, at least from William's perspective.

The 2019 Sussexes' trip to southern Africa marked the last time Bradby would enjoy a close relationship with William, who allegedly felt "blindsided" by the interview with Harry and Meghan before they left the Royal Family, reports the Mirror.

Royal advisors believed the interview took advantage of Harry's "clear vulnerability", and Bradby later confessed to feeling "caught in the middle" of the brothers, having once been close friends with both. The ITV presenter described it as "a deeply uncomfortable place to be".

A source revealed to MailOnline how the bond between Prince William and Tom Bradby has been shattered: "The friendship between William and Tom is over. The Prince feels let down by Bradby and the way he has acted over the past few months," adding poignantly, "William is a sensitive soul and believes it's in times of crisis when you find out who your true friends are. It would be fair to say Bradby hasn't been one of them."

Within the walls of royalty, there was clear unease at the 'vulnerability' shown during that tell-all interview. It marked a major moment as the first instance Meghan laid bare such raw emotion on television before the Sussexes' dramatic departure from Royal life. Yet, it seems the saga of Meghan and Harrys fractious ties with the media involves further episodes.

Meghan Markle, in another instance of media frenzy, was left utterly "hysterical" after contravening the strict instructions laid out by Prince Harry during an earlier interview encounter. In his explosive book, 'Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors', Royal biographer Tom Bower delves into the incident when Meghan spoke with Vanity Fair in 2017, a risky move given that Harry had expressly forbidden discussion on three sensitive subjects.

Just two months prior to their official engagement announcement, Meghan's exchange with journalist Sam Kashner was meant to shine a light primarily on her role within the hit series 'Suits' and address aspects of her biracial identity. According to Bower, Meghan skillfully navigated the dialogue, keeping clear from her romance with Harry, honoring his directives.

He penned: "Kashner arrived at Meghan's home and was told that his interviewee had been given strict instructions by both Harry and Keleigh Thomas Morgan [a publicist at PR firm Sunshine Sachs]. Knowing that Diana and Sarah Ferguson had ruined their reputations in interviews, Harry had asked Meghan to keep quiet about sensitive subjects - Donald Trump, race, their relationship and especially himself. He was not to be mentioned."

Yet, despite these measures, the outcome was not as expected when Meghan graced the magazine cover with the headline "She's Just Wild About Harry."

Bower recounted how Meghan was reduced to tears upon seeing the article, revealing that "within hours, Meghan called Ken Sunshine [founder of Sunshine Sachs Consultants] and Keleigh Thomas Morgan."

He continued: "Hysterically, she described Buckingham Palace's outrage over 'Wild About Harry'. Sunshine Sachs advised that Meghan should have made sure her remarks about Harry were omitted. Why wasn't the emphasis on her charitable work and activism?"