Tom Bradby's interview is a fascinating insight into media complicity with royals, including the role ITV journalist plays

"The antagonists - the press - specifically the tabloids,", says Prince Harry in regards to the royals' relationship with the press and who he views as the biggest problem. He then goes on to describe to ITV's Tom Bradby the royals complicity in some of that media relationship.

It was an interview of many revelations, unfortunately for ITV and Tom Bradby much of it had been leaked by the Spanish version going on sale too early last week, as well as the Guardian getting hold of a copy.

It was still an interview to be amazed by. Here we had Harry, in his own words, detailing the main lines from his memoir Spare.

We had a bit of everything. The overarching theme was one of exposing the inner workings, a form of self-annihilation and with a somewhat naïve belief that he could regain the trust of his father and brother. Maybe he will, but it feels a long way off.

As for Tom Bradby's interview style, it was a masterclass in walking a fine line. He had to show enough empathy and sensitivity to ensure Harry kept talking, but not so-much as to be criticised for not challenging the prince enough. He achieved this, although not without a few cringe-worthy moments where Harry turns the tables on Tom and asks if he'd like to share his story of losing his own virginity. Tom demurs and the camaraderie of the two men is clear to see.

Tom does hold Harry to account, in certain moments. He pushes him for an answer on what his brother William would say if he watches the interview and Harry turns this back on him again and Tom is ready with a list of assumptive questions his brother may or may not ask. Being ready to have your question turned back on you is a sign of an excellent interviewer, and also gave us insight into Harry's highly defensive mode.

Other former military personnel have said they believe Harry to have PTSD from a combination of two tours of Afghanistan and the early loss of his mother, Diana, in a car crash. They say that his 'self-destructive' behaviour is something other ex-military experience and someone should really intervene to stop Harry from doing any more damage.

At points during Tom's interview, I wondered if he was going to be the one to try to prevent Harry from more harm. He pushed Harry on whether speaking out more in interviews such as this one would help with a reconciliation with his father and brother. Tom seemed, at times, to have the bafflement which you can imagine King Charles and Prince William are probably experiencing.

He asked about racism and the audience were left more confused than ever on Harry's stance on whether the royal family are viewed by him as 'racist'. He said 'no' to the royals being racist and praised the ability of Ngozi Fulani and Susan Hussey to meet and reconcile since the furore over the palace visit and Ngozi being asked where she came from. The Oprah interview then was not a presentation of Harry's family as being racist, apparently. Harry told us about unconscious bias versus racism and that he used to have the former and was now more aware.

You could see Tom's exasperation, as well as his juggling act in maintaining a rapport. A tricky one...

Since Harry moved to the US with his wife Meghan Markle, there have been regular phone calls between Tom and Harry. William, on the other hand, is said to have cut the broadcaster out.

Speaking to GQ, Mr Bradby revealed the origins of his friendship with the royals.

He said: "I’ve always tried to build relationships without calculation — you could say, ‘Oh that’s b******s!’ and of course, it did occur to me that building a relationship with Prince William might be useful to the rest of my journalistic life.

"But I’ve tended to gravitate towards people I like, who have humanity.

"My mother hated that calculation and she particularly hated people who kissed a***, especially the a****s of those who were powerful.

"I suppose that stuck with me. William has his proper friends and I am not one of them."

Speaking in 2016, the broadcaster said: "I’m a friendly face in the media and someone he can talk to if he wants to."

After he covered Harry's 2004 tour of Lesothos, Mr Bradby is said to have struck up the same relationship with William's younger brother.

However, the way the brothers have drifted in recent years has left the broadcaster in the middle.

In June 2020, The Yorkshire Post claimed: "Although he is still friends with both Harry and William, he is keen to distance himself from that debate."

Speaking to the newspaper, Mr Bradby said: "The anxiety around that was that you don’t want to let anyone down.

"I know Harry and Meghan, and William, and I found myself dragged into a maelstrom which I didn’t particularly enjoy and which was quite stressful."

Tom is in the vortex of the royal fall-out storm more than ever. "I want a family, not an institution," says Harry to Tom, in a desperate plea to have been born into a different family. Harry was born into an institution, a fact he is still working through at the age of 38.

Tom played therapist, albeit with a jokey-edge, to a successful degree. The things Harry wants - 'accountability' from family and also a reconciliation - are diametrically opposed. The fabric of the royal family in Britain is built on optics. This isn't comfortable viewing for anyone and certainly wasn't an easy day of journalism for Tom Bradby.