In a candid interview with ITV News, Britain's Prince Harry has attributed the strained relationship between him and much of the royal family to his ongoing battles with the tabloid press. The prince expressed that his fight with the media played a significant role in "destroying the relationship with [his] family."

Addressing the impact of his feud with the press, Harry stated, "I think that's a certainly a central piece to it," noting that any mention of his family leads to a torrent of abuse from the media. The prince has been embroiled in several legal battles with British tabloids in recent years, filing three lawsuits against them.

This interview marks Harry's first public statement since his victorious four-year legal battle with the Mirror Group Newspapers concluded in Britain's High Court. The court ruled in Harry's favor, citing evidence of "widespread and habitual" phone hacking and other invasive practices aimed at uncovering details about his private life. The prince lamented that the press seemed to be aware of personal information about him before he even knew.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, have previously blamed the media for their decision to step back from their royal duties in 2020. The couple accused the royal family of failing to support them and engaging in a briefing war that supplied negative stories to the media to protect other royals or the palace, which Harry referred to as a "dirty game."

According to royal watchers, Harry and his older brother, Prince William, have adopted different approaches to dealing with press controversies. While William is characterized as having a "grim, steely obsession with control," Harry is said to openly condemn the press and has initiated a flurry of lawsuits against media outlets.

Further motivation for Harry's legal battles lies in the press's treatment of his late mother, Princess Diana, who tragically lost her life in a car crash while being pursued by paparazzi in 1997. Although Harry alleged that Diana was "probably" one of the earliest victims of phone hacking, this claim has yet to be proven in court.

The interview with ITV News is part of a forthcoming documentary titled "Tabloids on Trial," set to air in the United Kingdom on Thursday. Harry has two more ongoing civil cases against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, and News UK, publisher of the Sun, awaiting resolution in British courts.

It remains to be seen how these legal battles will ultimately shape the relationship between Prince Harry and the royal family, as the prince continues to navigate his role as a public figure amidst the constant scrutiny of the press.