Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former neighbours have claimed the couple never quite fitted into life in their celebrity-packed California town. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left California last month to return to Britain with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, after six years living in North America. But some residents of the wealthy coastal community claim Harry and Meghan kept themselves apart in a way other famous faces living nearby did not.
Residents claim couple 'couldn't be bothered with regular folk'
Ciara Curtis, 52, who has lived in the area for decades, said: “I don’t mean to be unkind. But, from the moment they moved in here (in July 2020), they have made it very clear they really can’t be bothered with regular folk and they’ve only ever been interested in mixing with anyone as rich and famous as they are.” She claimed one neighbour, identified only as Susan, once left a bottle of local wine and a handwritten welcome note with a member of the couple's security team, only to find both returned to her doorstep the following morning.
Ms Curtis added: “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. 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.”
Children rarely seen by locals
She said she occasionally saw Harry walking the family's Labrador, Pula, but rarely saw Meghan and said she did not know anyone who had seen the couple's children. She continued: “You rarely, if ever, saw her and I don’t know anyone who even caught a glimpse of their children Archie and Lilibet. I understand the need for security but we had a real-life little prince and princess in our midst and nobody here could begin to tell you what they look like.”
Another resident, advertising executive Marc Atwell, 42, said: “I don’t think anyone is going to miss them being here full time.” He compared the couple with other celebrities who own homes in Montecito. Mr Atwell said: “Like Harry and Meghan,” he added, “they all value their privacy. But almost all of them, except the British royals, have at some stage or other joined in community events, either by hosting fund-raisers for local charities or giving cosy little interviews to local weekly papers that cover this area.
“Harry and Meghan made it clear right from the get-go that they didn’t want to do anything like that. I remember, in the early days, Meghan was spotted buying some scented candles in a little gift shop in the centre of town. But I guess she wouldn’t want to do anything like that any more since launching her own online brand where the same sort of candles go for three times the price.”
Concerns over sudden departure and awards ceremony
His wife Laura, 42, said: “I’m surprised they’re going to be heading back so soon to Montecito. You’d think she could arrange some sort of video link to the awards ceremony, in the event that she wins, and that she and Harry would want to focus on their kids who have just started at a new school in England.
“I admire his international (Invictus) Games for disabled veterans. That’s a really worthy cause but he has a habit of totally deflecting attention from the good things he’s capable of by attracting all the wrong kinds of headlines for the daft things he says and does.”
Meghan's Netflix programme With Love, Meghan has been nominated for Outstanding Lifestyle Program at the Daytime Emmy Awards, which will be held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on October 30.
Laura said she and her husband had initially found the attention surrounding the Sussexes “mildly irritating” because “you couldn’t walk a hundred yards down the street without seeing a photographer or being stopped by a journalist.
“They still come here from all over the world,” she added, “and on many, many occasions when I’ve driven by their entrance driveway, I’ve seen local cops ordering newspaper and magazine people to move on.
“That doesn’t happen with any of our other celebrities, even Katy Perry who’s now living with (former Canadian Prime Minister) Justin Trudeau and they’re reckoned to be planning to marry. It’s amazing how Harry and Meghan have become such human magnets for often the wrong kind of publicity and, to tell you the truth, they sort of stick out here while everyone else just goes about life peacefully.”
Former Beach Boys musician criticises Harry
Former Beach Boys musician Bruce Johnston, who also lives nearby, has also criticised Harry. He said: “No-one really knows why they left so suddenly - apart from Oprah. They were at her home all the time. I live opposite too and saw them.”
Mr Johnston added: “I’m sure that Harry has gone back to tell his brother he’s sorry for being a jerk.” Recalling what he said was the only time he saw the couple out together in Montecito's town centre, he added: “They were in the back of their car and they did look happy but kept themselves to themselves. I was scared, however, when I saw their bodyguards with guns filling up their car with gas.”
A waitress at the Honor Bar also claimed Harry and Meghan visited the venue only once and left after being asked to join a waiting list for a table. She said: “When they first moved here they came in and were asked if they would add their names to a waiting list for a table. Everyone is treated the same here. Even if they aren’t celebrities a lot of people who live here are in the same tax bracket. But they got angry and said they shouldn’t have to wait. Then they left and never came back, although they did get a to-go order which was later picked-up by their staff.”
