Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Montecito neighbors have claimed they felt snubbed by the couple during their six years in the community.
The Sussexes allegedly made little effort to integrate or build relationships with “anyone who was not a billionaire or a famous person or both.”
As a result, when they left on August 26, their departure barely registered with the locals.
Highlights
- Harry and Meghan’s former neighbors claim the couple kept to themselves during their six years in California.
- Some locals welcomed their departure, with one describing it as “good riddance.”
- The Sussexes’ return to the UK does not signal a return to the monarchy.
“I doubt anyone would have noticed they’d left if it hadn’t been reported,” one neighbor said.
Meghan and Harry’s neighbors opened up about their time in the US
The Daily Mail spoke with the Sussexes’ neighbors for an article published on Saturday, August 29.
Robert Eringer, an author based in Montecito, told the outlet that the couple, along with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were never particularly settled into the community.
“I’m out and about a lot and never saw them,” he said. “I doubt anyone would have noticed they’d left if it hadn’t been reported.”
Another resident, named Susan, said she had only seen them in passing, such as Harry riding his bike or Meghan driving her car.
She also recalled the cold response she received after attempting to send them a welcoming gift when they first moved into their estate.
“I left a bottle of wine at their gate, and it was returned to me unopened the following day. I’m not sure they ever wanted to hang out with anyone who was not a billionaire or a famous person or both,” she said.
Even when they left, Harry and Meghan did so quietly, leaving their neighbors with little indication of their final activities.
“There were no moving trucks, no parties, nothing at all. One day they were here and the next they were back in England.”
The Daily Mail noted that any signs of the couple in the neighborhood have now disappeared.
A local bookstore called Godmothers, for example, no longer carries products from Meghan’s lifestyle brand As Ever, nor does it stock Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare.
Another set of neighbors had previously expressed relief over Harry and Meghan’s departure
Some Montecito residents are ready for a little more quiet following the Sussexes’ departure.
“When we first heard Harry and Meghan were moving here, there were definitely some concerns,” one told Page Six on August 20.
“There had already been so much negative press and attention surrounding them and the royal family, and I think people worried about what kind of spotlight that could bring to such a quiet community.”
Now that they have moved back to the UK, the neighbor said they “couldn’t be more thrilled.”
It appeared to be a shared sentiment, as another resident told the outlet, “good riddance.”
They claimed that many people were happy to see the couple leave, alleging they were “always asking for grandiose favor” from locals “because of their titles” while “never giving anything back” to them or the “actual Montecito community.”
They added: “The town was exhausted by them, the entitlement and the never-ending drama.”
Harry and Meghan’s return to the UK is not expected to bring them back into the royal fold
The couple have made the Cotswolds, a scenic region in southern England, their new base.
By doing so, they bypassed London, where King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and other prominent members of the monarchy reside.
The call suggests that, for now, they plan to live as private citizens.
The King was reportedly informed of the move only last Sunday, after the Sussexes visited him at his Highgrove home in July this year.
According to the BBC, he welcomes the opportunity to see Harry and his family in a private and personal capacity.
It remains unknown who will foot the bill for the Sussexes’ stay in the UK.
A billionaire friend reportedly financed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s mov
Harry and Meghan took a private flight from California to Birmingham, which, according to Page Six, cost $120,000.
Just days after their arrival, the outlet reported that British hedge fund billionaire Ian Wace covered the expense and contributed an additional undisclosed sum.
Beyond being a wealthy acquaintance, Wace shares an emotional connection with Harry over their mutual experience of losing loved ones in car crashes.
He lost his first wife and two children in 1997, the same year Harry lost his mother, Princess Diana.
Harry and Meghan spent time with Wace and his family away from the spotlight in July, taking their children to his Scottish island, Tanera Mòr.
"This must be exhausting for William," a netizen said
