Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s California Neighbors Unimpressed to Live Around Them

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been staying in Montecito, California, for over four years since they left the U.K. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live there with their two adorable children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Now several people who lived there are coming forward to give their opinions on having the high-profile couple as their neighbors. One of the neighbors, Frank McGinity was reportedly offended by their security guards at the gates of their multimillion-dollar mansion, as highlighted by the Mirror.

He said that the royal couple isn't interested in bonding with their neighbors. In his memoir Get Off Your Street, McGinity wrote, "The gate guy turned me away and wouldn't take the film, just saying 'they're not interested'. I was trying to be neighborly. If they were interested in the neighborhood I've got a lot of information." He was surprised to find out the couple had moved in, mentioning that the Riven Rock Estate usually attracts much older residents. He said, "It's surprising they came here. People are typically older. It's where the elephants come to die."

Another source, Richard Mineards, a society columnist for the Montecito Journal said, “It’s a very wealthy community, we have a lot of people giving a lot of money to our cultural organizations as well as charities, but we don’t see them.” As reported by The Telegraph, he added, “We have got a lot of very rich and very famous people here, and none of them have a security retinue like the Sussexes. The community is waiting for them – they’re gnashing at the bit. The cachet of a Duke and Duchess!” However, Harry’s friends said he has a close-knit group of friends for understandable reasons.

Additionally, Eric Bramlett from Bramlett Residential said, "Managing a £12 million ($14 million) mansion like Harry and Meghan's in Montecito takes a lot of work." He added, "Just paying the staff salaries, utilities, landscaping, maintenance, security, and more could easily cost hundreds of thousands per year." Talking about Harry, another source said, “Normally when you see him around here, he’s walking his Labrador on the beach or on his bicycle followed by his security in a Range Rover. They keep themselves to themselves. I haven’t seen Harry around much.”

While Harry is usually seen less often around Montecito, sources claim to have seen Markle more frequently performing everyday tasks, such as going to the farmer’s market or having lunch with friends, Marie Claire reported. Insiders say Harry is more low-key, but when he’s out, he acts like any other dad in the suburbs. Meanwhile, a property expert has also revealed how much it takes financially to maintain their expensive abode. The expert estimates that their extravagant house must cost millions of dollars every year to maintain as it operates with a team of 10-15 employees. This comprises cleaners, a personal chef, and a security team to meet the needs of this estate.