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Prince Philip funeral: Who is ITV journalist Tom Bradby?

Tom Bradby attends a photocall during the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2019 on August 21, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images)
Tom Bradby in 2019 (Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images)

Journalist Tom Bradby will present ITV's coverage of Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, 17 April alongside Julie Etchingham.

The 54-year-old will be familiar to many viewers as a presenter of ITV News at Ten but he first began working for ITN in the early 1990s.

Who is Tom Bradby?

From 1993 to 1996 he was ITV's Ireland correspondent before taking on the role of Asia correspondent from 1999 to 2001.

Read more: BBC responds to complaints on coverage of Prince Philip's death

He was injured in 1999 after being hit in the leg by a flare in Jakarta while reporting on riots against the then newly-elected president, Abdurrahman Wahid.

WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 19: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Claudia Bradby and Tom Bradby attend the wedding of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England. Prince Henry Charles Albert David of Wales marries Ms. Meghan Markle in a service at St George's Chapel inside the grounds of Windsor Castle. Among the guests were 2200 members of the public, the royal family and Ms. Markle's Mother Doria Ragland. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Claudia Bradby and Tom Bradby attend the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. (Indigo/Getty Images)

Bradby has covered major royal events in the past having acted as a royal correspondent reporting on the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother in 2002.

He then became ITV News' political editor from 2005 until 2015, when he became the main presenter on ITV News at Ten.

Tom Bradby's relationship with the Royal Family

He has close ties to the Royal Family as a friend of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's and has often reported on their decision to step back as senior royals and move to the US.

It was Bradby who gained exclusive access to the couple during their 2019 Africa tour which was shown in Harry & Meghan: An African Journey.

Read more: Prince Philip's funeral: How the day will unfold

In one stand out moment from the interviews, Bradby addressed the toll that abuse and scrutiny may have taken on Markle as he asked her if she was okay.

Watch: Prince Harry shares with Tom Bradby how Africa changed his life

In her candid response, she thanked Bradby for the question as she said: "Any woman, especially when they're pregnant, you're really vulnerable. So, that was made really challenging.

"And, then when you have a newborn, and especially as a woman, it's a lot. So, you add this on top of just trying to be a new mom or trying to be a newlywed."

"Thank you for asking because not many people have asked if I’m okay, but it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes."

Read more: Queen shares picture of Prince Philip surrounded by seven of his great-grandchildren

Bradby and his wife Claudia, whom he married in 1994 and shares three children with, were guests at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding back in 2018.

He also attended Prince William's nuptials with Kate Middleton in 2011 and carried out the first official interview with the couple after their engagement was announced.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 29:  Tom Bradby from ITV News with his wife Claudia exit following the marriage of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England. The marriage of the second in line to the British throne was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and was attended by 1900 guests, including foreign Royal family members and heads of state. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have also flocked to London to witness the spectacle and pageantry of the Royal Wedding.  (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Tom and Claudia Bradby at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011. (Getty Images)

However, it has recently been reported that Prince William has brought his friendship with Bradby to an end over his support for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their exit from the royal household.

Outside of his journalism work, Bradby is an author who has written eight novels.

He adapted his book Shadow Dancer into a film of the same name starring Clive Owen and Andrea Riseborough in 2012.

Watch: Tom Bradby discusses royal rift