Trump says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step back from royal family is 'sad' and 'shouldn't be happening' to the Queen

President previously called Duchess of Sussex 'nasty'

Donald Trump has shared his thoughts on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s decision to step away from their roles as senior members of the royal family, saying it is "sad" and he feels bad for the Queen.

“I think it’s sad,” Mr Trump said in an interview with Fox News. “[The Queen] is a great woman. She’s never made a mistake… She’s had like a flawless time.”

“I don’t want to get into the whole thing, but I just have such respect for the Queen," he continued, adding: “I don’t think this should be happening to her.”

The president’s comments come after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced this week in an unprecedented decision that, in addition to stepping away from royal life, they would be pursuing financial independence and be splitting their time between North America and the United Kingdom.

"After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution," the couple said on Instagram. "We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to support Her Majesty The Queen.

This is not the first time President Trump has publicly shared his grievances with Meghan. In June, he called the duchess "nasty" after learning that she had threatened to move to Canada in 2016 if he won the presidential election.

"I didn't know that she was nasty," Mr Trump told The Sun at the time. He later denied calling the duchess "nasty," before attempting to clarify his comments.

"I wasn't referring to she's nasty," the president told Piers Morgan. "I said she was nasty about me. And essentially I didn't know that she was nasty about me. You know what? She's doing a good job, I hope she enjoys her life... I think she's very nice.

"She was nasty to me. And that's okay for her to be nasty, it's not good for me to be nasty to her and I wasn't."

Following Meghan and Harry's announcement, The Independent learned that the mood at Buckingham Palace was one of disappointment as it emerged that other members of the royal family were not consulted ahead of the couple's social media statement.

In a public statement, a spokesperson from the palace said discussions regarding the issue remain "at an early stage".

"We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through," the spokesperson added.

While President Trump may have sided with the Queen, other public figures such as Jameela Jamil and Oprah Winfrey have expressed their support for the royal couple.