Many Montecito residents still haven’t welcomed their royal neighbors with open arms.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the To Di For Daily podcast, told Fox News Digital that locals are fuming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have placed a glaring spotlight on their wealthy, coastal home.
Many depicted the California town as neighborly and quiet before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex laid down roots in 2020.
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“Montecito residents tell me that their disdain is primarily focused on Meghan because she gives off ‘new money energy,’” said Schofield. “They don’t believe that Harry and Meghan are financially literate.”
According to Schofield, neighbors feel the couple’s entertainment pursuits “come off as desperation.” The Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” premieres in March. Her lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard, is also expected to launch sometime this year.
“Neighbors have a hard time processing why someone would turn their back on tiaras in pursuit of Tupperware,” she said. “Selling pots and pans with an American Riviera Orchard logo on it just does not compete with state visits with world leaders.”
Schofield’s comments came shortly after a scathing Vanity Fair report said that Meghan and Harry are called “local villains” by neighbors.
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment about the lengthy feature.
One Montecito resident, who has never met the couple but spoke to the outlet, referred to the duo as the prince and “the starlet.” Meghan, 43, a former American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married the British prince, 40, in 2018.
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Locals of the Santa Barbara area attributed many new annoyances to the pair, including increased housing prices and busy streets taken over by “out-of-towners.”
“According to several Montecito residents, Harry and Meghan bring negative, unwanted drama to their beautiful area,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
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“This noise is seeping into their once-quiet neighborly area,” Chard claimed. “Montecito, once a hidden jewel, is now on a pedestal due to the Meghan and Harry celebrity association. The unwelcomed attention has also highlighted other high-profile Hollywood Montecito residents and draws crowds of voyeurs to the area. They fill the restaurants, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood stars.”
Schofield said that despite worldwide interest surrounding Montecito, thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex calling it home, the couple is rarely seen by locals or curious visitors.
“I have combed the society papers and magazines in Montecito to see if Harry and Meghan are photographed at local charity galas or mentioned for community contributions,” said Schofield. “They simply are not. They are considered introverts. Friendly, but not open and engaging.”
Chard agreed with Schofield’s sentiments.
“It has been cited that Meghan and Harry keep to themselves at home and sadly do not contribute to the community,” she said.
A source also told the outlet that Harry reportedly doesn’t have a social life.
“[Meghan] was upfront about the fact that Harry hadn’t made many friends yet,” the source, who previously interacted with the duchess professionally, told Vanity Fair.
Schofield claimed it’s gotten harder for the couple to win over local fans.
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“There’s no doubt that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle put Montecito on the map,” she shared. “Yes, Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry live there, but their presence is quiet. Paparazzi typically do not drive 200 miles round trip to take their photos.
“Montecito now gets daily mentions thanks to Harry and Meghan’s presence. Harry has also spoken about Orlando Bloom calling to warn him about photographers hiding down the street. It has changed the environment.”
Montecito has been home to a handful of celebrities, including Natalie Portman, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Keaton. However, the neighborhood has seen much more tourist traffic since Meghan and Harry’s arrival in 2020, anonymous residents told the outlet.
American Riviera Orchard, Meghan’s latest business endeavor, is also located in Montecito. According to the outlet, a book published by the Southern Pacific Company rail lines in 1898 states, “Montecito is known as the American Riviera.” However, that honor reportedly now belongs to Santa Barbara specifically.
“It’s such a kind of hucksterism,” a resident told Vanity Fair. “It’s just finding every way she can to monetize something.”
“I still think they’re the most entitled, disingenuous people on the planet,” the resident added about the couple. “They moved away from England to get away from the scrutiny of the press, and all they do is try and get in the press in the United States.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been estranged from the royal family since they stepped back as senior members. The couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what prompted them to make their exit.
Since then, they’ve made headlines for airing their grievances.
After detailing their struggles with royal life to Winfrey in a televised interview viewed by nearly 50 million people globally, they unveiled their controversial Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” in late 2022. Then, in early 2023, Harry’s memoir, “Spare,” was published.
Each launch highlighted new allegations about their time as working royals.
“When it comes to claims they are ‘local villains,’ it depends on who you speak to,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “They’ve put Montecito on the map internationally because they moved there after stepping down from being senior working royals. It’s true they hated the press they got in the U.K. and had mostly good press in the U.S.”
“That good press, however, is changing as we’ve seen with Vanity Fair, The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter, which have run critical pieces,” Fitzwilliams noted.
Chard believes that if the couple’s foundation, Archewell, “became a powerhouse contributor in the charity space,” they might finally get the seal of approval from their no-nonsense neighbors.
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“It could change public perception,” she said. “I think one issue people have with Harry and Meghan is this idea that they are monetizing their relationship with the British royal family while disrespecting them. They constantly tell us how good they are, but so far, they have contributed more hurt than help. Archewell needs to be the star. Archewell needs to step up.”
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner has a different view. He believes the couple have been unfairly judged after fleeing their life in the UK.
That scrutiny, he noted, won’t end anytime soon.
“It is said that Harry and Meghan are living the dream existence,” he explained. “In my view, it’s quite the opposite. They are in a perpetual nightmare, wondering which sling or arrow will be plunged into their family heart next.”
“In Montecito, the residents complain that they do nothing for the community,” he shared. “In reality, the couple live in a bunker world, constantly worrying who to trust and what might be said about them.”
