The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are believed to have relocated to the Cotswolds from the US, where they had been based for six years. The couple and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, are thought to have moved to the region in southern England last month.
They join a host of famous faces with homes in the celebrity hotspot, including Ellen DeGeneres, Beyonce and Jay Z, the Beckhams and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Reports of special treatment at Soho Farmhouse
One popular spot in Oxfordshire is Soho Farmhouse, an exclusive members-only retreat made up of cabins, restaurants and activities, as well as gym and spa facilities. According to Daily Beast editor-at-large Tom Sykes, Meghan was spotted at the venue recently, enjoying afternoon tea with a companion. She is also thought to have been seen at a farm shop with bodyguards by her side.
Discussing the topic on the At Home With Vanessa podcast, host Vanessa told her guests that she had heard there had been "tempers" and demands "of certain treatment" during a visit to Soho Farmhouse. Turning to Daisy McAndrew, a journalist and royal commentator, she said she had heard similar reports, seemingly referring to Meghan.
WhatsApp group 'alive and buzzing' with complaints
"I happen to be in a WhatsApp group of the village that is next to Soho [House]," she shared. "So I have a house that we rent out there and I can tell you that that WhatsApp group has been absolutely alive an buzzing with complaints."
"Now some of them are just you know, 'I heard fourth hand, fifth hand', a lot of those people do spend an awful lot of time [there], it's walking distance to Soho Farmhouse. And there has been stories about special treatment," she claimed.
However, pointing out that it's likely Meghan received special treatment due to security fears, she added: "On the other hand, you can imagine that her security would not want her going down you know the front gate, they might want her going into the back gate and all that sort of palava would irritate the locals considerably. So yes there's definitely been grumblings and complaints going on."
Local celebrity issues warning
Local celebrity Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen previously issued a warning to Meghan about the locals, particularly the school mums. Speaking about the couple living in the Cotswolds, he said: "I think she's going to need to be very genuine. I think that's the big moment here, is that the Cotswold folk can really sniff b******t, you know, they can really sniff when people aren't being who they are."
"So I think the Duchess is going to need to not be too much about the airs and graces if she's going to be picking the kids up from the school gates. I wouldn't want to take them [other Cotswold mums] on, I wouldn't want to p**s them off, I can tell you now," he continued. "Unlike in Montecito, they don't have the celebrity safety net, [like they did with the likes of] Oprah Winfrey."
Express.co.uk has contacted Soho Farmhouse for comment.
