Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have moved to the Cotswolds, but an opinion piece by Chris Riches warns they need to learn that the smallest snub can turn a community cold before they even notice.
California faux pas
In California, Meghan reportedly rubbed a few Hollywood power-brokers the wrong way, leading to some US business opportunities drying up. She picked a fight with influential American lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, prompting the 85-year-old to hit back at the Duchess of Sussex for launching her homeware website: "If you're an actress, it's hard to then transition to a princess and then from a princess into a homemaking guru on a television show. It doesn't sort of follow."
The boss of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, unfollowed her after the streaming giant pulled out of backing her As Ever lifestyle brand - after she also fell out of favour with powerful Vogue chief Dame Anna Wintour.
Montecito neighbours speak out
Last week, former neighbours in Montecito said, during their six years living in the celebrity-packed Californian enclave, the Sussexes never appeared to make much effort with them. Ciara Curtis, 52, said: "I don't mean to be unkind, but from the moment they moved in here, 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."
Another resident, advertising executive Marc Atwell, 42, said: "I don't think anyone is going to miss them being here full time."
Cotswolds arrival
Now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have moved to the UK's equally celebrity-packed Cotswolds, so maybe now they should try a new approach and blend in a bit. So far they look to have failed on that front after turning up to drop off Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet at their (first) UK primary school in a convoy of blacked-out cars.
Despite their convoy of cars, they still had security concerns, so they pulled the kids out of that school and enrolled them at a different one. There have also been claims that Meghan has already annoyed some locals by allegedly requesting "special treatment" when out and about.
Royal commentator for NBC News Daisy McAndrew told the Express about Meghan: "She's been in a pub in the Cotswolds this week. Local sources tell me she was asking for special treatment, and that hasn't gone down well. There's been muttering in the Cotswolds. There's been tooth sucking."
If they want to be a part of a community, and not apart from it, they will need to learn to stay down-to-earth, be happy to queue for a pint at the pub bar, or chat to the other mums and dads at the school gates like the rest of us.
