Still many Montecito residents did not welcome their royal neighbors with open arms.
Locals are angry that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have put their wealthy coastal home in the spotlight, To Di For Daily host Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital.
The California city was portrayed by many as a neighborhood, sleepy town before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex set down roots in 2020.
MEGHAN MARKLE, PRINCE HARRY CALLED LOCAL VIOLENTS BY NEIGHBORS IN RITZY CALIFORNIA
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior UK royals and moved to California in 2020. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“Montecito residents told me their disdain is primarily focused on Meghan because she brings ‘new financial energy,’” Schofield said. “They don’t think Harry and Meghan are financially literate.”
According to Schofield, neighbors feel the couple's recreational activities “look like desperation.” Duchess of Sussex Netflix Series “With Love, Megan” Premiering in March. It is also expected to launch its lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, sometime this year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously called Frogmore Cottage home in the United Kingdom. (Getty Images)
“Neighbors have a hard time understanding why someone would turn their back on crowns looking for Tupperware,” she said. “The sale of pots and pans bearing the American Riviera Orchard logo does not compete with official visits by world leaders.”
The Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle series, “With Love, Meghan,” will now premiere on March 4. (Netflix)
Scofield's comments came shortly after his harsh criticism Vanity gallery The report stated that neighbors call Meghan and Harry “local punks.”
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the lengthy feature.
“Neighbors have a hard time understanding why someone would turn their back on Crowns in search of Tupperware products. Selling pots and pans with the American Riviera Orchard logo on them does not compete with official visits by world leaders.”
Meghan Markle's Netflix series was filmed near her home in Montecito. (Netflix)
A Montecito resident, who had never met the couple but spoke to the outlet, referred to the pair as the prince and “the star.” Meghan, 43, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince, 40, in 2018.
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Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain's Prince Harry in 2020. They have two young children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. They are raised in Montecito. (Alastair Grant/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Locals in the Santa Barbara area He attributed several new inconveniences to the couple, including rising housing prices and crowded streets taken over by “out-of-towners.”
“According to many Montecito residents, Harry and Meghan are bringing unwanted negative drama to their beautiful neighbourhood,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
Watch: Meghan Markle will never win over the British public again, author claims
“This noise is seeping into their neighboring area, which was previously quiet,” Shard claimed. “Montecito, once a hidden gem, is now on a pedestal due to Meghan and Harry's celebrity association. The unwelcome attention has also put the spotlight on other notable Hollywood residents in Montecito and is attracting crowds of voyeurs to the area. They are filling restaurants, hoping to catch A look at Hollywood stars.
Meghan Markle, a former American actress who starred in the legal drama “Suits,” was born and raised in California. (Steve Wilkie/USA Network/NBCU Image Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Despite the global attention surrounding Montecito, Schofield said, credit is due The Duke and Duchess of Sussex They call it home, and locals or curious visitors rarely see the couple.
Meghan Markle is seen at a Netflix event on November 15, 2023, in Montecito, California. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Netflix)
“I combed community newspapers and magazines in Montecito to see if Harry and Meghan had been photographed at local charity galas or mentioned for community contributions,” Schofield said. “They're simply not like that. They're considered introverts. They're friendly, but they're not outgoing and interactive.”
The gate to the estate where Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, live in Montecito. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)
Shard agreed with Scofield's sentiments.
“It has been said that Meghan and Harry keep to themselves at home and, unfortunately, do not contribute to society,” she said.
A source also told the outlet that Harry has no social life.
“(Meghan) has been open about the fact that Harry hasn't made many friends yet,” the source, who has previously interacted with the duchess professionally, told Vanity Fair.
Schofield claimed it had become difficult for the couple to win over local fans.
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The home of talk show host Oprah Winfrey as seen from the air on June 22, 2001, in Montecito, California. Winfrey reportedly purchased the 42-acre property for an estimated $50 million. (Jason Kirk/Getty Images)
“There is no doubt that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle put Montecito on the map,” she said. “Yes, Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry live there, but their presence is quiet. Photographers don't usually drive 200 miles round trip to get their photos taken.
“Montecito now gets daily mentions thanks to the presence of Harry and Meghan. Harry also spoke about calling Orlando Bloom to warn him of paparazzi lurking in the street. It has changed the environment.”
Many celebrities have called Montecito home over the years. In this 1991 photo, Jane Seymour is seen lounging at her Santa Barbara home in Montecito, California. (Paul Harris/Getty Images)
Montecito has been home to a few celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Michael Keaton. However, the neighborhood has seen much more tourist traffic since Meghan and Harry's arrival in 2020, anonymous residents told the outlet.
Royal experts agree that Montecito has become a household name after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose the city as their home. (David McNew/AFP via Getty Images)
American Riviera Orchard, Meghan's latest business endeavor, is located in Montecito. According to the outlet, a book published by the Southern Pacific Company railroads in 1898 states that “Montecito is known as the American Riviera.” However, that honor is said to now belong specifically to Santa Barbara.
According to a Vanity Fair report, Prince Harry has not made many new friends in the area. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“It's kind of a pledge of allegiance,” one resident told Vanity Fair. “It's just finding every possible way to monetize something.”
“I still think they are the most deserving and deceitful people on the planet,” the resident added of the couple. “They moved away from England to get away from the scrutiny of the press, and all they are doing is trying to get access to the press in the United States.”
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Meghan Markle's lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, will reportedly launch this year. Many of her celebrity friends gave viewers a sneak peek at what to expect on social media. (AP)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been separated from the royal family since stepping down as senior members. The couple said it was the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press that pushed them out.
Since then, they have made headlines for voicing their grievances.
After detailing their struggles with royal life to Winfrey in a televised interview watched by nearly 50 million people globally, they unveiled their controversial Netflix docuseries “Harry and Meghan” in late 2022. Then, in early 2023, Harry's diary “Spare Parts” It has been published.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were interviewed by fellow Montecito resident Oprah Winfrey in 2021. (Harpo Productions/Joe Pugliese via Getty Images)
Each launch highlighted new allegations about their time as royals.
“When it comes to claims that they are 'domestic villains,' it depends on who you talk to,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “They put Montecito on the international map because they moved there after stepping down as senior royals. It's true they hated the press they got in the UK and they had good press in the US for the most part.”
“This quality journalism is changing, as we saw with Vanity Fair, The Cut, and The Hollywood Reporter, which published critical articles,” Fitzwilliams noted.
Prince Harry was spotted walking his dog in Montecito, California. (Photo by Mega/JC)
Chard believes that if the couple's foundation, Archewell, becomes a “strong contributor to the philanthropic sphere,” they might finally get the stamp of approval from their no-nonsense neighbors.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's non-profit Archewell Foundation aims to 'show up and do good'. (Matt Dunham – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
“It can change public perception,” she said. “I think one of the problems people have with Harry and Meghan is the idea that they are investing in their relationship with the British Royal Family while not respecting it. They constantly tell us how wonderful they are, but so far, they have done more harm than help. Archewell should be the star, and To come forward.
Royal expert Ian Pelham-Turner has a different view. The couple are believed to have been unfairly judged after fleeing their lives in the UK.
He noted that this scrutiny will not end anytime soon.
To Di For Daily presenter Kinsey Schofield described the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as “introverts” in the upscale city. (Patrick van Cutwijk/Getty Images)
“Harry and Meghan are said to be living the dream life,” he explained. “From my perspective, it's quite the opposite. They are in a constant nightmare, wondering which slingshot or arrow will fall into their family's heart next.”
“In Montecito, residents complain that they do nothing for the community,” he added. “In reality, the couple lives in a fortified world, constantly worried about who to trust and what might be said about them.”
Fox News Digital's Lauren Overholtz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
