Tom Bradby: Prince Harry is ‘heartbroken by the situation with his family’

Prince Harry and Meghan Duchess of Sussex visit to Africa

In 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did a weeks-long tour of several African countries. At the time of the tour, the palace was unaware of the fact that Prince Harry and Meghan had authorized journalist Tom Bradby and ITV to document their tour behind-the-scenes in what would become the documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. Bradby had been friendly with and sympathetic to Harry before that tour, but after the tour, Bradby was treated as more of an unofficial spokesperson of the Sussexes. Following the Sussexit, Bradby has given a handful of interviews where he seems to have insider knowledge of what’s going on in Sussex World, and he’s remained (to my knowledge) pretty sympathetic towards Harry & Meghan. Well, now as the one-year anniversary of the Sussexit announcement has passed, Bradby decided to share his view on what’s going on in Sussex World.

On the African Tour documentary: “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.”

On how the Sussexes feel about the past year: When asked if he thinks Harry and Meghan seem any happier since they moved to California earlier this year, Bradby says, “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.”

The distance between Harry & Prince William. “The situation with the family clearly isn’t ideal and it has been a very difficult year for them all. 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.”

On the Sussexit: “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.”

Family tensions: “You have got to remember this isn’t just a family, it’s a firm. They are in the business of public service on a very elevated, exposed platform and to some extent, they are all locked in it together. And that creates lots of tensions that people perhaps do see relatively clearly from the outside, but at the same time they are trying to be a family and I am always acutely conscious of that and how complicated and frankly difficult it is.”

[From People]

I appreciate that Bradby is like “eh, it’s still pretty complicated.” Because that’s a point of contention and confusion among so many royal reporters. No one can figure out if Harry and William have actually spoken to each other that much in the past year. No one can figure out if some of the wounds have been healed, who reached out to whom, or if anyone reached out. To hear someone like Katie Nicholl describe it, Harry and William are fine and they speak often, which feels like… the Cambridge version of events. I think Bradby is representing the Sussex version of events, which is that there are still bad feelings and there’s very little water under the bridge between the H&M and the Windsors.

There’s a lot unspoken here: “The situation with the family clearly isn’t ideal and it has been a very difficult year for them all…. 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.” The idea/reality that William struggles too is… not a Cambridge-approved talking point. But then again, I feel like Harry doesn’t want to be represented as someone carrying a grudge about being the “spare.” Harry left for a lot of reasons beyond the fact that he was the “spare.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visit Auwal Mosque in Cape Town

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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84 Responses to “Tom Bradby: Prince Harry is ‘heartbroken by the situation with his family’”

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  1. Lotoya says:

    This article makes since but Celebitchy will have you believe otherwise. They’re humans after all there’s bound to be hurt feelings and uncertainty. They certainly might not have it together all the time. But celebitchy will have you believe they’ve never been happier since they left their monstrous family and are doing better than ever. I wish all parties well

    • Becks1 says:

      So you literally didn’t read what Kaiser wrote

    • Amy Bee says:

      How did you arrive at this conclusion?

      • gemcat says:

        I think maybe…maybe, Lotoya is referring to the general celebitchy-view that Harry is not pining to move back to the UK, which is very different from saying it hasn’t been hard on him.. and perhaps that difference is lost on them hence the comment.. thats just my two cents

      • Susan says:

        I think there is nuance lost in that comment: A general internet perception is that celebitchy is pro-Sussex, which is true. But there is nuance in this Sussexit situation, and I feel like Kaiser (and celebitchy, when she writes about it) fully recognize and acknowledge it. Big familial decisions, no matter how ultimately beneficial they are, are not zero sum moves. Living a similar situation with my highly dysfunctional family but on a lesser scale (aka I’m not royalty and I didn’t move across the ocean!) and trust me, even though I’m 100 percent certain I made the right decision for my children and future grandchildren, it still hurts. Sometimes more than others.

      • VS says:

        @Susan — it is not that CB is pro-Sussexes per say; they just called the BS like it is. That’s why it sounds pro-Sussexes. The british media , if you can call what they have media, is just weird…. yet they have the FT, the Economist, the guardian (a bit left-leaning if I may use the US party nomenclature); the rest just seems like one tabloid after another

        I have asked and will continue to ask: why does the rf need to work with tabloids? why not work with the respectable press? that’s what H&M are starting to do; in the US, if your work can be discussed in the NYT, BBG, CNN and the like, you are more than ok.

        TMZ, People, etc are tabloids; I know some might object but people is a gossip magazine. Serious (emphasis on serious) work is not discussed in those

      • Pamuk says:

        Ya, like what?

    • Myra says:

      Two things can be right at the same time. They’ve never been happier since moving out of that nest of vipers and Harry is still heartbroken at what went down over the past two/three years. That level of betrayal is not easy to get over, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t happy with his new life.

    • Jaded says:

      @Lotoya…your comment makes no sense. CB is clearly of the opinion, the right opinion, that family situations like this will always be sad. I was estranged from my older sister for many years up until just before her death and it was stressful but necessary as she was extremely toxic. It was a difficult choice to make and I didn’t swan out of the relationship happy as a lark that I didn’t have to deal with her any longer. The complicating factor here is that it’s the BRF, which runs like a machine, and if one part stops working the whole machine can fall apart. Harry knows he did the right thing in stepping back from royal duties in order to protect his wife and child from the leaks, gaslighting, racist and intrusive media coverage, and financial improprieties the Cambridges were involved in. They’re happy being autonomous now and have been very successful in building their foundation around their own dreams and strengths, not simply serving as William’s scapegoat.

      • Carmen-JamRock says:

        Sorry @jaded, the BRF cant possibly be an organization which: “…runs like a machine, and if one part stops working the whole machine can fall apart…” as you say. Certainly the fossils that run that organization do NOT share this view, otherwise, they wouldnt engage the self-sabotaging campaigns that they go on every generation when the NotTheHeir shines brighter than the Heirs and must therefore be bludgeoned, aided and abbetted by the complicit tabloids and the PR planst working on behalf of the different palaces (BP/CH/KP) who are all on the payroll of the pathetic Fossils-running-the-Firm for just such assignments.

      • Jaded says:

        Carmen-JamRock – I didn’t mean the BRF works as a well-oiled, perfect piece of machinery. It operates on an antiquated, protocol-heavy and tradition-laden piece of machinery with way too many sycophantic “grey men” running the show. When one part fucks up, i.e. The Keens’ obvious work-shy ways, their media leaks, William’s adulterous affairs, financial shenanigans with their shared foundation, Prince Andrew’s Epstein issues, it tends to snowball into a domino effect of problems leading, inevitably, to the Queen who has proven herself to be a hidebound bitch who drove her grandson and his wife out of England. It’s a sad situation when a family is toxic enough to cause the departure of a family member, but one which Harry and Meghan have extricated themselves from and seem to be on the path they wanted to choose for themselves without the interference of the clunky royal machine.

    • Madelaine says:

      @lotoya: Your “Celebitchy will have you believe” incantation makes me wonder why I’ve never come across that gospel by Saint Kaiser. Nobody can have you believe anything you don’t agree to in the first place, not even through torture. Why? Because your thoughts are the most unattainable intimate part of you: your mind is impregnable, inviolable territory. It’s yours by definition and not for anyone to colonize, unless you’re willing to listen because they might be objectively right. And by the way, what should preclude us from theorizing that the Prince’s decision to sacrifice his toxic relatives has made him more content and at peace with himself? Do you really believe Harry wakes up dripping with sweat in the middle of the night yelling ‘Grandmama, where are you?’ How much do you think he misses the maddening crowd of intrusive courtiers, the Abel and Cain rivalry and the preposterously outdated protocol? Is it unreasonable to think it was all worth the sacrifice and that he and the family he created are better off now?

      The ‘Harry is heartbroken’ premise is no fact but sheer magical thinking designed to destabilize the other party until they end up feeling and behaving according to the carefully worded curse. Usually works on 9-year-olds, though.

  2. Ines says:

    HARRY’S HEARTBROKEN! shout the tabloids, but if you read what Tom says:

    “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.”

    Sensationalism at its peak.

  3. EllenOlenska says:

    It recently occurred to me that Madeline in the Swedish royal family was allowed to leave with a lot less drama. There was a bit of noise in the international papers and I’m sure much discussion in Sweden but nothing like this…I realize that her brother is still there to be the heir but still…and daily fail still has its own sub headline for Meghan. You know, Meghan the not FFkeen Queen, who is also inconsequential.

    • Kalana says:

      What the Windsors are doing is not normal. Saying you want to step back to gain more independence and self-sufficiency is not a bad thing.

      On the other hand expecting Harry to build his life around William until William doesn’t need him anymore is ridiculously dysfunctional and totally unsympathetic. That’s why I’m interested in the Palace pettiness becoming more bold. A year later, they’re still just as angry and it’s going to backfire.

      I wonder if after the plan was leaked to Dan Wooten in 2019, Harry tried to get the Queen’s people to finally agree to a meeting and was still pushed off and told to commit more things to writing? Clearly the Palace wanted to drag the Sussexes through the mud and damage their image thoroughly before finally letting them go.

      • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

        These are also people (Petty Betty, Charles, PwBT) who do NOT like being told “NO”, are accustomed to EVERYONE kowtowing to their every whim; not being denied ANYTHING. The first time someone *really* stands up to them… yeah…And especially as it’s being played out in public, it’s also going to be a “power” show.

      • Bex says:

        That’s what so weird to me about the tabloids basically painting the picture that William would be king with Harry “by his side”.

        When their great-grandfather became King, his brothers didn’t stop their lives in order to support him. The press even made a point to portrays the Queen Mother as the strength behind the throne, and the King as totally reliant upon her. His brothers still had their own duties. One brother was made governor-general in Australia. One died during the war while flying missions. It was the same way with the Queen and Margaret.

        So, it makes no sense for the press to not only push that narrative, but also to choose not to even question that narrative at all. Being King/Queen is a solitary endeavor. William needs to rely on his spouse, just as all the others before him have.

      • VS says:

        @Bex — W relying on his spouse? do you see K as someone who has any ambition or brain? the woman is so empty headed that she reminds me of Melania trump. Those 2 would get along as they are so similar

      • Amy Bee says:

        @Bex: The press and the palace knew that for William to be a successful king, Harry was vital to bolstering William’s popularity as UK Head of State.

      • Lady D says:

        @Amy Bee, So that’s why Liz is so pissed at him leaving the country. Makes sense now.

      • Nic919 says:

        We don’t see the press push Charles needing Andrew, Anne or Edward to be a good king so why is Harry so essential to William? I mean the obvious answer is that William isn’t capable and at almost 40 has shown none of the leadership skills that his father had shown by then. It says a lot about what William is still lacking that the press still tries to suggest that he needs Harry to be a future future king. I suppose the other obvious answer is that Kate is pretty useless as well. As mentioned above, the Queen mother was seen to support her husband. Right now Kate is still learning how to be an adult while almost 40.

      • Ginger says:

        I think a lot of people would prefer Harry over William as King. That’s why there is such a push to have Harry by William’s side and why Harry had to be at William and Kate’s engagements. He pretty much carried them when he was there. Look at the massive mistakes these two have made in the past year.

        Honestly, Harry carried the whole monarchy.

      • Ann says:

        Watching the first two seasons of “The Crown” I was incensed at how Margaret was downgraded when her sister became Queen. Margaret was clearly a flawed person herself, and I know she became more and more haughty over the years, but still. It wasn’t just that Elizabeth wouldn’t let her marry Peter Townsend, a RAF veteran, without losing her place in the line of succession (even though she herself was allowed to marry Philip who had FOUR sisters married to Germans during WWII). It was all the little things. Margaret couldn’t announce her engagement to Lord Snowden until after Elizabeth announced her pregnancy with Andrew. Like, why?! Andrew was the third child, not the heir presumptive. It was always Elizabeth first, in every little thing. I don’t think she started off being such a self-important bully, but being Queen sure made her one.

        It was the same thing when Meghan had Archie. Meghan was supposed to deliver at a certain hospital and not at the one of her choosing. WTF?! People got salty because “tradition” dictated the Queen be the one to announce the sex of the baby. How stupid. Like he/she is a commodity that belongs to the Queen, not the baby of her grandson and his wife who should be the ones to announce the happy news. I could understand it more with William’s kids I guess, certainly the first one, since he’s the heir. But Harry isn’t the heir. Just, ugh.

    • LizzyD says:

      EllenOlenska – Good point about other monarchies. Sweden -where I lived until 2years ago is a very different monarchy and I can shed some more light hehe as to why its not an apt comparison (though totally agree on why british monarchy is bonkers). The brother ‘Prince Carl’ , though born after current heir Victoria,was actually the heir apparent to the throne of Sweden for seven months, until 1 January 1980 when a change in the constitution came into effect which made natural birth order the basis for succession to the throne, replacing the principle of agnatic primogeniture. His elder sister Victoria then became heir apparent, with Carl Philip becoming 2nd in line. Madeline was the quintessential wild child and very beautiful but faced very bad press in Sweden as she was 3rd in line. When she married her husband, he
      chose to remain untitled: also a member of the Swedish royal family must hold Swedish citizenship which he declined. However as CP victoria didnot have a baby for a while, Madeline’s first born daughter (a total cutie) was the next heir of Victoria! Madeline was only able to leave when Victoria had her heir and spare (also total cuties). So a very different situation.

    • Nic919 says:

      The Swedes also removed the HRH from everyone but the direct heirs as well as the expectation to do royal work, which includes Carl as well as Madeleine. The BRF should have done that years ago. Harry is the only one making it easy to streamline the list of people being supported by the taxpayers.

      • Sunshine says:

        Nic919 your comment in relation to spouses is also spot on. Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands had monarchs that were able to step back because they had suitable heirs with suitable, hardworking spouses.
        Unfortunately, Kate is just not up to it.

  4. Amy Bee says:

    It’s important to remember that these are the opinions of Tom Bradby not Harry and Meghan’s thoughts. A lot of “I thinks” in his comments. I got the impression in the interview that Bradby is not in regular contact with Harry and has probably not spoken to Harry in over a year. But that being said, it’s not a revelation that Harry was upset about how things went down. If my family didn’t accept my wife and did all they could to smear and to get her out of the family as well as tried to undermine me in press, particularly with the military, I’d be heartbroken too.

    The press tried to play this interview like Harry is heartbroken that he left the family and not that the family was the reason why he had to leave.

    • Snuffles says:

      Agreed. Bradby repeatedly said “I think” and made it clear that he was just speculating. I don’t think he’s been speaking with Harry recently either. He’s probably much more familiar with what is happening with William at this point.

      Anyone can see that Harry and Meghan are happy with their decision. Anyone can guess that the relationship with the royal family is complicated and that Harry was quite hurt they never supported Meghan with some actively conspiring against her. And any can guess that William is “struggling” with his position because it’s patently obvious he’s shit at the job.

    • My Two Cents says:

      Agreed, Tom is promoting his book, so he’s out there to get attention. It doesn’t sound like he actually knows anything firsthand about Harry and how he’s really feeling. I actually was disappointed that he said all this, I thought their ‘friends’ were supposed to be loyal and know that if you mention the Sussexes, it will get blown out of proportion and they will analyze every detail for days (look at the stupid ponytail comment from Rob Lowe…)

      • Carmen-JamRock says:

        Its a truth universally acknowledged (cr: jane austen) that one can NOT really be “friends” with a journalist. Certainly NOT the kinds of journalists that comprise the UK media, who are not only incestuously connected with the power-players in UK society (Royalty/Govt/Business) particularly given their anachronistic & pervasive class system, but who are also NOT used to serious journalism that requires trust and integrity.

        Tabloid media (sensationalistic/full of lies/destructive) dominate the UK….no one can deny THAT!

        While H might hv spoken more willingly with UK journalists like BryonyGordon and TomBradby than others, and tho it is said that Bradby is a “friend” of both W & H, I noticed that when Bradby interviewed H&M in SA in that very telling interview, they NEVER gave him even a hint of the imminence of their leaving, which occurred one month later, and which suggests that they had already made their decision at the time of that interview. Importantly, also, it was AFTER that Bradby interview that H made his announcement abt suing the rags and mention “this particular press pack” that had smeared M throughout her pregnancy and while caring for their new-born son and yet, had nothing but admiration for her on the tour when in fact, SHE hadnt changed who she had always been.

        Bradby had no inside knowledge then and he has none now.

  5. JT says:

    I think it’s Harry who is the one who is most upset or hurt about his family, after all it is his family. It must have been an eye opener how things went down. However, I think at times he was willfully ignorant over how his family behaved before Meghan. These people weren’t the perfect family until he got married; they’ve always been pretty fucked up individually and as a firm. I think he ignored a lot of things going on and with Meghan coming in to the picture everything just went haywire. But I do think H&M are in a good place now with their home and projects finally coming out. They seem intent on moving forward with their lives.

    • Amy Bee says:

      I don’t know if he was willfully ignorant. I think that it was more that he just tolerated it because this is the only family he has known. Before Meghan came, Harry was thrown under bus many times by the family. I think when it’s drummed into your head from very young that it’s your duty to put up of things for the sake of the family and the Queen, you can get numb to it and just accept that this is what happens to you as a member of the Royal Family Plus, the Army probably gave him an escape from Royal life. It’s not lost on me that only a few years being forced to leave the Army, he decided to leave the family. I think marrying Meghan and having Archie meant that he couldn’t tolerate the way the family behaved anymore as it was not him alone to bear the burden of their abuse, he had his wife and child to protect.

      • Snuffles says:

        @amybee

        Agree 100%. Harry begrudgingly tolerated it because it was beaten into him by everyone around him that he must be loyal to The Firm and support William. But like Meghan said in the Bradby interview “It’s not enough just to SURVIVE, you need to THRIVE.” It took Meghan to bring everything into perspective for him and the birth of his son for Harry to finally say ENOUGH! I firmly believe Harry and Meghan began plotting their escape the moment Archie was born.

      • Becks1 says:

        My gut feeling has always been that Harry was okay being the spare and being treated as such – he didn’t love it, but figured it was “how things were.” Meghan was not okay with it (I don’t mean that in a “she ruined the family!!!!” Kind of way, more that she showed Harry that he deserved more). So I think that played a part. I think Meghan gave him the confidence to say, “I’m out,” with it still being his decision.

        I also think that Harry may have been okay with his treatment but was decidedly NOT okay with his wife and son being treated that way. I imagine there was a strong feeling of “you can deny Kate’s Botox or issue legal threats about rose hanbury but you won’t step in to shield Meghan while she’s pregnant and struggling?” Harry married someone that he prioritized over his birth family and that has always been a huge part of the issue for the royals.

      • Amy Bee says:

        @Becks1: I think Meghan coming in the family added a different dimension to his treatment as the spare. It’s one thing to be disrespected or ill treated and another to see your wife go through the same treatment or worse. There’s no doubt that Meghan suffered racism in the family. Given that he was never comfortable with being part of the Royal Family, the ill-treatment of wife and the foreseeable ill-treatment of Archie would have pushed him to decide to leave. I think it was inevitable that Harry would have left even if he married an English rose as the familly and press wanted.

      • BayTampaBay says:

        “Harry married someone that he prioritized over his birth family and that has always been a huge part of the issue for the royals.”

        @Becks1 – That has always been a huge a issue for many families not just Royal families. I know from personal experience

      • VS says:

        Why is there a need for the spare to be less popular? if royalty is to be believed like some do, wouldn’t the spare be less talented than the heir?
        In the case of Charles vs Andrew — it ended up being correct; unfortunately for W, his brother got everything good about the parents and he unfortunately got some of their worst traits. W could have corrected his lack of charisma by marrying a woman who had some……..

        Thx gosh, we don’t have a monarchy in the US; can you imagine if the Donald was king and we couldn’t get rid of him?

        @BayTampaBay — I agree with you; not just the RF, many families deal with that exact issue

      • JT says:

        Very good points made, but I can’t help but think about Harry’s comments regarding the royals being the family that Meghan never had. He really thought they were going to treat her well. It’s like really? Since when have these folks been welcoming. Diana was treated terribly from day one and she was a rich, white, aristocrat.

      • CC2 says:

        @becks, Meghan herself said she told Harry that the point of life isn’t to survive but thrive! I agree that Meghan basically made him see that this isn’t worth it.

        When the woman you love quit her job, social media, business and beloved anonymity/privacy (including that of her friends) to marry you, and your own family can’t even show her a little respect even for a year….I imagine that made Harry ‘snap’…in a good way of course.

  6. Becks1 says:

    Ugh I had a long post that got eaten.

    Anyway, I know these quotes have gotten some Sussex fans up in arms, but I imagine there is a great deal of truth in them. You can be happy but still wish things had worked out a bit differently, or still feel sad over the loss of certain relationships. And Bradby is pretty clear this is just based on his personal views, Harry hasn’t confided in him.

    My sister passed away a few years ago but before she died we barely spoke. We would go years without speaking, I never called her, there was no relationship. She was very toxic and I did not want her in my life. Even a psychiatrist said to my mom once – “you want her in California.” (We are on the east coast) – I.e. safe, but not part of your life. When she died, and to this day, I feel a great amount of sadness that “my sister” is dead and that I never had a good relationship with “my sister.” But I’m not heartbroken over the absence of a relationship with HER. Not having a relationship was absolutely the best choice for me and my mental health. But every time someone on my FB posts something cheesy about “my sister is my best friend!” I feel a twinge. Sometimes you can mourn the absence of a figure in your life without mourning the actual person.

    I imagine it’s similar for Harry. He’s probably sad that his relationship with “his brother” is in a bad spot but not sad that his relationship with William and Kensington Palace is in a bad spot. He may wish he could live closer to “his family” but he also clearly recognizes that being away from the Windsors is the best thing for his OWN family.

    None of that means he isn’t happy with his current life. Relationships can be complicated and are rarely as black and white as tabloids or twitter would have one think.

    • Sofia says:

      Agreed. And I’m very sorry about your sister @Becks.

      Bradby is just giving his opinion on things. It’s not fact. And even if it was, it’s possible to still think you made the right decision but wish it happened under different circumstances. It’s not doing a disservice to Harry or whatever.

    • Headintheclouds says:

      Perfect explanation, Becks! You can and have to make choices that remove you from toxic situations or people and can still be sad about the fact that you had to do that. Doesn’t make you unhappy. Harry is probably very happy in his little family bubble and feels a huge amount of relief that he’s removed himself and his family but he’s still upset about what went down.

    • Jay says:

      This is a great insight, Becks – “Sometimes you can mourn the absence of a figure in your life without mourning the actual person. ”

      I wonder if both Harry and Meghan might have that in common, missing the supportive father or brother (or entire family…) they would wish to have. It’s hard to admit that someone you share a genetic bond with doesn’t necessarily mean they want the best for you.

      However, I think Meghan in particular has been a great example of having a “found” family in the form of close friends. I hope you have found that, too!

      • Jenn says:

        Jay – Yes. My first therapist (!) explained to me that the reason grief seems to reappear on holidays and anniversaries is, is we mourn all these individual moments a person ought to have “been there,” WHO they should have been to us. And that is true of all kinds of “loss,” of course — not just deaths.

    • Jaded says:

      The exact same thing happened to me Becks1, a toxic sister I finally had to cut out of my life. I too was sad when she died but it was a self-inflicted death and I’m sure she’s in a much happier place now. I still think of her almost every day, of the (few) good times we had, how she could make me laugh, her creativity, she was a gifted person who took some very wrong turns. The emptiness one feels after leaving a toxic family relationship soon gets filled in with uplifting friendships, fulfilling work, love, and a sense of purpose. I think that’s what the Sussex’s are deriving from severing ties that no longer served their purpose in life.

      • Ann says:

        Very similar with my oldest sister. She had some very good qualities. She was smart and funny, she taught me how to drive, she could be very loyal. She would have been great as a FRIEND, but as a sister she was toxic. As a member of a family unit, she was exhausting and corrosive. I struggled to get along with her and went through some period of estrangement where we barely spoke and I was angry with her, but after we both had kids (our sons are six months apart), we mended fences and would talk regularly, if not often, and try to focus on the good and laugh together. When she died in her mid-forties (she had a serious chronic health condition) I was very sad, but the hard truth was her absence made it easier on our family in many ways. On my parents, and on her three siblings, especially me and my other sister.

  7. Angel says:

    It must be awful to see your family, your own blood work against you and your wife.

    • JT says:

      But this is what the Windsors have always been. Look how they treated his own mother. Look how Charles has been treated when he was younger. I know it’s a shock but he can’t have been surprised. I’m not trying to victim blame, but this family’s f*ckery has been on display for a hundred years. They protect nazis and pedophiles but throw Diana and Harry to the wolves. It seems he finally woke up when Meghan came along. These people have never had his best interest at heart, which is probably one of the reasons for his heart break, that he wasn’t paying attention before.

      • Snuffles says:

        I feel like there are quite a lot of members of the royal family that are secretly rooting for Harry, but their existence is so inextricably tied to The Firm, that they are largely incapable or unwilling to pay their own way that they are forced to side with The Firm lest they get cut off. So they are forced to tow the party line.

        Take Eugenie and Jack, I think they probably would love to go it on their own but the situation makes it very difficult for them and they are probably not financially positioned to do so.

      • Harper says:

        I think the only one not rooting for Harry is William and he is the one that everyone is afraid to anger by supporting H&M. Look at how Eugenie and Jack were pushed out of Frogmore. I’m sure the interior of Frogmore is lovely and updated and comfortable and I bet they were enjoying it before something hit the fan and they had to leave.

      • February-Pisces says:

        I think harry always knew how awful they were but didn’t expect them to turn on him and his family. I think he genuinely thought everyone would be happy when he fell in love and got married. And yet even during his wedding none of his family bothered to look up at him when he was saying his vows.

        That is why I always say you should never judge someone on how they treat you, but how you see them treat others. Because if you see someone mistreat another person, but think “they seem ok with me” the day will always come when they turn on you. I think he always knew they weren’t sh*t but never expected just how bad they would be.

    • VS says:

      @Snuffles — what situation makes it difficult for them to leave? they can leave if they want to; H&M have now set a precedent; similarly for her sister; they can perfectly find a way to earn a living outside of the family; they have their inheritance from their father as well; why stay in a dysfunctional company/family?

      • Snuffles says:

        @vs. Maybe they can’t afford to live on their own or the life they have become accustomed to. Maybe they are scared to rock the boat because, why their Dad is the Queen’s favorite, Charles hates his guts and wants to cut them all off financially once he is in charge. And most of the family barely tolerates their mother.

        I don’t follow them closely, but I don’t get the impression that they have done much to establish themselves as independent entities nor do I think they have inherited much wealth. Harry had both going for him. He had the Queen Mother and Diana’s inheritance which has probably doubled since he got them nearly 20 years ago, AND he’s worked his butt off establishing successful, independent charities.

      • VS says:

        @Snuffles — I also don’t follow them. I only started paying attention because of Meghan. Now that she is safe back home, I don’t really pay attention to what that family does.
        You are right, if Charles doesn’t like Andrew, why not leave now when lizbeth is still alive? wouldn’t that be better in the long run?

        This reminds me of how lucky H was for meeting a woman like Meghan. A woman who knows how to live outside the rf. Given that the 2 sisters married non-royal men, I assume both men have or had jobs; they can agree to downgrade and get out now of the dysfunction instead of waiting to be pushed aside by Charles

        Anyway, maybe even the crumbs are better than trying to earn a living outside of the rf….what a shame!

  8. Lizzie says:

    I guess Harry is heartbroken over his families backstabbing but that doesn’t equal regret over leaving.

  9. Sofia says:

    As others have said, it is possible to be upset over the way a situation transpired but still be happy with the your life right now. This is also Bradby giving his opinion on things which you can tell with the “I think” and some vagueness.

  10. S808 says:

    Who wouldn’t be heartbroken? What they did to his family………I don’t even know how I’d begin to process that. He was very hopeful for their future in the family and those hopes were crushed. I’d imagine he’s very hurt and probably feeling some guilt. I think it’ll be awhile before he’s in an okay place with the windsors (especially William) and even then I think he’ll only deal with them from a distance. Forgiveness or not, you never forget a betrayal like that.

    • Sofia says:

      I truly think the best thing for everyone is time. Time for some distance to grow between Sussexit and their current life so wounds don’t seem so “fresh” (although Sussexit will always conjure feelings amongst some people even years later as situations like this do).

    • Kalana says:

      And there’s no guarantee the behavior will ever stop. Harry was clearly assigned a role in that family where they used him while making him think they were actually taking care of him -that was the William and Harry dynamic and similar things happened with Charles.

  11. Harper says:

    Did Bradby even make the cut as one of their approved contacts when H&M cut the royal cord? He’s in England, and if Bradby had spoken to Harry you can be sure he would let us know that he was in that inner circle. So I don’t think he did have contact with the Sussexes since they left. Bradby is, however, on the royal beat in England and the more interesting comments here are the ones related to William wrestling with his position. Um, please say more about that! This just confirms that the tensions still exist and there’s been no smoothing out of hurt feelings.

    • Harla says:

      Exactly Harper! One would think that the struggles of the future king would be of more interest to the British people then the struggles of the 6th in line who stepped away and is no longer in the country. Poor William even his struggles aren’t interesting enough to make people focus on him more than his brother.

  12. Over it says:

    Just my opinion, I imagine that Harry after loosing his mom, must have said well good or bad this is the family I have.He must have realized all that they kept doing to him especially to make his selfish asshole of a brother look better all for the sake of that monarchy. He had enough and joined the army,only to return to see that not much had changed he was still always going to be the scarificed lamb.He fell in love . Not with her skin color but with her . She was his other half. He must have assumed that after all the shit his family put him through that him being in love and happy was not too much for him to expect them to support. Boy was he wrong. Harry family doesn’t know the meaning of the word love they never have and I imagine that after he witnessed what they did to his wife he finally realized that and said no more of the cycle for me.so for the fact that him and his son will never know love from them is what would, make him sad but he is not sad in his life with his family of Meghan, Archie and Doria

  13. MsIam says:

    If Harry is heartbroken about anything, it’s that he and his wife will still be used as a cover for his inept UK family. No one’s talking about that stupid Choo Choo tour anymore are they? I guess that’s what that Rota rat meant by “You can never leave the royal family”.

  14. February-Pisces says:

    Harry was the one who was really betrayed, they are his family, he has always publicly supported every single one of them, not one member did the same for him when he need it. Meghan is lucky that those people are nothing to her, but she also has her own dads betrayal to deal with.

    I appreciate what Tom is trying to do, you can tell he was to say so much more but can’t. It’s just annoying that William has 100% ownership over the British media and no one will challenge him or even dare say anything slightly unflattering. I’m praying the tide changes soon.

    • ABritGuest says:

      February Pisces I agree that must be so painful for Harry. He went out of his way to defend his family including his stepmum Camilla who caused his own mum so much hurt & it’s radio silence when he needs support or even some of them allegedly fuelling the nasty press.

      In contrast the queen publicly throws her arm around Andrew& it’s briefed the family are frustrated with his intl press coverage over his refusal to speak to US authorities. Then look at the OTT reaction to the Crown & getting everyone and their grandma to support Charles& Camilla in the press. Clarence House still has its social media comments off. yet all types of filth was posted on royal SM about Meghan& even Archie with nary a care from the firm. Must be a kick in the teeth. Also Harry was on camera talking about how much he wanted a family. And he finds someone who can apparently do the job & is willing to take on this crazy role& his own seemingly try to ruin things for him.

      I wonder if after Diana’s passing there was a bit of indoctrination from the firm about her because Harry& William were still fairly young when she passed. I question if Harry now sees the firm’s treatment of her in a new light given his recent experiences

  15. Elizabeth says:

    “Effectively they have just decided to completely leave the royal family, that has never been done“ — um… except by his own mother! Geez.

    • MaryContrary says:

      She divorced Charles, but she was still a working royal. She didn’t stop representing them.

  16. Lunasf17 says:

    I kind of agree with article. I think Meg and Harry are content and on the outside have it all (a gorgeous home, Oprah as a neighbor, great business deals, etc) but I also think there is a lot of pain, especially with Harry. He gave up his home and (toxic IMO) family and moved thousands of miles away. I’m sure it affects their marriage and have issues come up. Even though it was probably the right decision (at least in my opinion) but it’s still complicated and a lot to process and deal with. I hope Harry and his family get to a better place for everyone involved.

  17. Snuffles says:

    @vs I’m sure they are watching Harry and Meghan and taking notes. Maybe that is their goal but they’re not quite ready yet.

    ETA: Maybe Eugenie and Beatrice are sticking around to suck up to the Queen in the hopes they will land a sizable inheritance when she dies. If that’s the case, they’ve got to tow the family line.

    • VS says:

      so sad….all that education going to waste! I know socialists who are like that and I also find it sad! why waste 200k – 300k of college tuition + the cost of private high school just to do nothing with one’s life….I just don’t get it and probably never will

  18. Linda says:

    I believe its been a painful experience for Harry and he is still grappling with the pain and betrayal. I sincerely hope time heals the wounds and brings peace and lightness of heart for them.

  19. Pamspam says:

    So I misread this as Tom BRADY and thought “why is that MAGA douche bag weighing in on this?”

  20. Maria says:

    If Tom Bradby is friends with both the brothers and finds himself in an uncomfortable position, then why not just shut up.

  21. Pétulia says:

    I don’t know why they keep playing with Harry like that. Two things can only happen.

    One day he is gonna loose it and expose them all.
    Or a serious journalist is gonna start some digging and expose them all.

  22. Linda says:

    Since he uses the phrase “I think” so many times I’m going to hazard a guess that he actually doesn’t know what he is talking about.

  23. Le4Frimaire says:

    I honestly get tired of all these projections about Harry’s feelings since he left the UK. We all have seen what jerks his family have been. No one seemed to care about his feelings when he was a working royal when they were attacking his wife and constantly tearing her down in the press, or belittling his manhood and intelligence because he cares for her and enjoys working with her. These people are so full of it and can take several seats.

  24. NotSoSocialButterfly says:

    I just finished the Harry and Meghan documentary- what a light she is, my god. A truly lovely person. The BRF really f*cked up by taking aim at her with petty Betty and the bitterly jealous Cambridges. The really couldn’t stand her humanity and grace and popularity. Bizarrely ironic parallels to Diana (in how they marginalized and vilified her covertly).