Mayor who met Queen saddened by Megxit

Staunch monarchist Phil Cooper — who hosted the Queen on her 1988 Geraldton visit — has expressed dismay at “Megxit”.

The Queen visited Geraldton on April 22, 1988, to see the town attain city status.

Mr Cooper, pictured with his photo album of the visit, was Geraldton’s mayor at the time and accompanied the Queen at the official function.

“I feel very, very sad for the Queen,” he said. “The Queen is a magnificent lady and at this stage of her life this is the last thing she deserves. It’s just poor timing they’ve only got just through the trouble with (Prince) Andrew and the way they’re treating the Queen is just plain wrong.”

In their announcement last Wednesday, Prince Harry and wife Meghan revealed they intended to step back as senior members of the Royal family and work to become financially independent.

Their statement, also posted to their Instagram page, said this came after many months of reflection and discussion between the pair.

Prince Harry is sixth in line to the throne.

Mr Cooper said during his political career he had the privilege of meeting many in the Royal family and, while he had not met Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, he believed Meghan wasn’t prepared for the responsibilities of royal life.

“I believe Meghan has pressured Harry into this decision. He’s a good kid but he’s too much of a softie and she’s dominating him,” he said.

The Royal family appears shaken to its core by the couple’s sudden announcement, which came immediately after a six-week hiatus from royal duties.

The Queen wasted little time in issuing a statement warning the pair getting out of their royal commitments would not be easy.