Meghan Markle and Prince Harry The neighbors of the posh California town are said to be called local punks who fled there after leaving their royal roles behind.
A Montecito resident, who had never met the couple but had spoken to them Vanity gallerythe duo is referred to as the prince and “the star”.
Neighbors of the quiet Santa Barbara area attribute several new inconveniences to Markle and Prince Harry, including rising housing prices, crowded streets and more.
Anonymous residents told the outlet that the neighborhood has seen much more tourist traffic since Markle and Harry arrived in 2020. Vanity Fair also reported that several people they spoke with indicated that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had become local villains.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been described as local punks in their Montecito neighborhood, according to Vanity Fair. (Fox News Digital)
“You know, the great thing about (Meghan and Harry) is that they didn't come here to live outside of our community. They came here to be part of our community.”
Markle's latest business endeavors, American Riviera OrchardThe location is also located in Montecito, Vanity Fair reported. According to the outlet, a book published by the Southern Pacific Company railroads in 1898 states that “the Montecito area is known as the American Riviera.” However, that honor is said to now belong to Santa Barbara.
“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. “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.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren't the only celebrities living in Montecito. (Chris Jackson)
Meanwhile, their famous neighbor Sharon Stone praised the couple's arrival.
“You know, the great thing about them is they didn't come here to live outside of our community. They came here to be part of our community,” she said. Access Hollywood In 2020.
“My friend said she was sitting in her car, so they rode their bike across the street and waved to her while she was sitting at the red light,” she recalls. “They are part of our community. They have become a part of giving, caring and participating in our community. They're not here to say: Would you like to kiss my ass?
Montecito has been home to a few celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Keaton, and Oprah.
The gate to the estate where Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, live in Montecito. (Getty Images)
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Despite moving to the US five years ago after stepping down from senior roles in royal life, Prince Harry is said to have no social life beyond his nuclear family.
“(Meghan) has been open about the fact that Harry hasn't made many friends yet,” a source who had previously interacted with Markle professionally told Vanity Fair.
Markle and Prince Harry jumped into action and landed a stunning contract with Netflix months after making Montecito their home in 2020. They also debuted their own docu-series, “Harry and Meghan” in 2022. The show had the highest single-day viewership of any series on Netflix since monitoring began in October 2022. One year later, they followed up with the documentary series “Heart of Invictus” in 2023 and produced “Polo” in 2024.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to California in 2020. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus Games Foundation)
However, multiple sources are described Markle and Prince Harry As having “really great ideas” for shows that were never produced.
“I think Harry doesn't know what he wants because he grew up in a fishbowl, so he doesn't know what real life is,” an insider who has worked on media projects with the couple told Vanity Fair. “I think he probably wants to be left alone and be able to kiss the kids once in a while but not have to worry about money. I don't think he wants to be famous the way Meghan wants to be famous.”
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2021 at the home of a friend of Winfrey's in Santa Barbara County, California. (Harpo Production)
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Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
