Prince Harry and Meghan Markle allegedly "stormed out" of a Montecito bar after being told they would have to join a waiting list for a table, according to a member of staff at the popular California venue.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are facing a potential return to the affluent coastal community next month, just weeks after moving back to Britain. Meghan is due to attend the Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on October 30, where her Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan has been nominated in the Outstanding Lifestyle Series category.
Staff member recalls Honor Bar incident
A waitress at the town's Honor Bar claimed that Harry and Meghan visited the venue only once shortly after moving to the area in 2020. She said they were asked to put their names on a waiting list like other customers.
"Everyone is treated the same here," the staff member said. But she claimed the couple became angry at having to wait. "They got angry and said they shouldn't have to wait. Then they left and never came back," she said.
According to the waitress, the couple later ordered food to take away, which was collected by a member of their staff. The anecdote forms part of a series of claims from Montecito residents and people familiar with the area about the Sussexes' life in the exclusive California community.
Residents describe distant neighbours
Harry and Meghan moved into a nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom property in Montecito in 2020 after stepping back from frontline royal duties. The estate, set on a substantial private plot, has become the couple's main US base and is close to properties owned by a number of prominent figures, including Oprah Winfrey.
Ciara Curtis, 52, a local financial manager, claimed that the Sussexes had kept their distance from the wider community since arriving. She recalled one neighbour, identified only as Susan, leaving a bottle of local wine and a handwritten note for the couple through their security team. According to Curtis, the bottle and unopened note were returned to the neighbour's doorstep the following morning.
"They could have easily given away the bottle of wine to a member of their staff and written a two-paragraph 'thank you' note back to Susan," Curtis said. "But the thoughtless act of brushing aside a small act of kindness set the tone for how they behaved and how they were perceived after that."
Local views on the Sussexes' return
Other residents said they rarely saw Harry and Meghan in public despite living among a large number of celebrities. Marc Atwell, 42, said he did not think many people would miss having the Sussexes living in Montecito full-time. He pointed to the presence of other high-profile residents in the area, including Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Costner, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston, saying that many had participated in local events or supported community causes.
"Harry and Meghan made it clear right from the get-go that they didn't want to do anything like that," he claimed. Laura Atwell, Marc's wife, said she was surprised the couple might return to Montecito so soon after moving to Britain. She suggested Meghan could potentially attend the awards ceremony remotely if she wins, given that the couple's children have recently started at a new school in England.
Laura also said the couple's arrival had initially brought an influx of photographers and journalists to the area. She claimed that police had repeatedly told members of the media to move away from the Sussexes' property.
Hollywood connections and recent comments
The couple's highly publicised move to Montecito initially brought them into contact with several Hollywood figures. Harry and Meghan were photographed at a fundraising event hosted by Kevin Costner and attended gatherings involving figures including Gwyneth Paltrow and Katy Perry. They have also remained close to Oprah Winfrey, whose estate is located nearby.
Bruce Johnston, an 84-year-old former member of The Beach Boys who lives close to the Sussexes, has also spoken publicly about the couple. Johnston recently described Harry as a "jerk" and suggested the prince may have returned to Britain to apologise to his brother, Prince William. He said he had seen Harry and Meghan only once in Montecito's town centre, when they were sitting in the back of a car. "I was scared, however, when I saw their bodyguards with guns filling up their car with gas," Johnston said.
The Sussexes' reported return to Britain has brought renewed attention to their future in the US and their links to Montecito. Their plans for October remain focused on the Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, where With Love, Meghan is nominated. The series, which features Meghan sharing recipes, hosting ideas and lifestyle advice, was released on Netflix in March 2025.
