Prince William ends 20-year friendship with Tom Bradby for siding with Harry and Meghan

Prince William has reportedly ended his two-decade-long friendship with Tom Bradby because the reporter sided with his brother Prince Harry during their recent rift.

Senior royal sources told Mail Online that William is annoyed that the host of ITV's "News at Ten," who was once one of his closest confidantes, has lately been acting as a mouthpiece for the Sussexes. "The friendship between William and Tom is very much over. The Duke feels let down by Bradby and the way he's acted over the past few months," a source told the outlet.

While the Duke of Cambridge reportedly no longer trusts his longtime pal, his place has been taken by his brother Prince Harry, whose phone calls and communication with Bradby have increased.

"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," the insider said.

Senior royal aides are also said to be upset that Bradby, as well as ITV News, who aired Harry and Meghan's explosive CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey in Britain, have been siding with Harry and Meghan instead of the royal family. It is believed that the journalist played a pivotal role in securing the tell-all for his channel.

"It's well-known Bradby personally communicates with Harry on a regular basis and that is pretty obvious to royal aides who know how things work. But it's been very difficult to accept given the long history between Bradby and William," a source said.

Additionally, it was during an interview with Bradby that Harry and Meghan had first hinted at having differences with the royal family. Bradby was the host of an ITV documentary filmed during the couple's visit to South Africa in 2019, shortly after the birth of their son Archie, when he famously asked the Duchess: "Are you okay?"

"Thank you for asking. Not many people have asked if I'm okay. It's a very real thing to go through behind the scenes...it has really been a struggle," the "Suits" alum had replied in an apparent swipe at the palace.

Harry had also admitted his rift with brother William in the same interview. "Part of this role and part of this job and this family being under the pressure that it's under ... stuff happens. But look we're brothers. We'll always be brothers. We're certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him and as I know he'll always be there for me," he had said.

Bradby revealed in an interview earlier this year that he felt "caught" and "deeply uncomfortable" when Harry made the confession about his souring relations with his brother. "...That is, in a way, why I am always reluctant to say anything more because I don't want to make anything worse or get in between anything or anything like that," Bradby told ITV's "Love Your Weekend."

The high-profile journalist, who was in attendance at both the royal siblings' weddings, has found himself in the middle of their feud despite his wishes. A source said that William will always remain "cordial and professional" with him, but their "special relationship" doesn't exist anymore.

"William no longer sees him as a friend," the insider said about the journalist who was chosen by William and Kate Middleton for their November 2010 engagement interview. A spokesman for the Duke had said about the decision at that time: "The couple asked to record this interview specifically with Mr. Bradby, whom they have both known for some time."