Montecito’s Buzzy, Stinging 5-Word Name for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to Montecito, California in 2020, a place where they could blend in with the many Hollywood celebrities in the neighborhood. However, despite their star power, Harry and Meghan stood out. The neighborhood’s residents think the royals did it to themselves, with one creating a buzzy nickname for the twosome—and Meghan’s particularly stings.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nickname from a Montecito neighbor
Per Vanity Fair, Montecito residents pride themselves on the peacefulness of the area and its “neighborliness.” The arrival of Harry and Meghan hasn’t exactly meshed with that portrait.
Despite the couple trying to fit into the town, where Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, and Leonardo DiCaprio call home, they appear to be outsiders. Harry and Meghan generate an unwanted buzz, leading some Montecito residents to look at them unfavorably.
“The prince and ‘the starlet,’ as the Montecitan calls her, have become local villains, according to several people who spoke with VF. They attribute the increase in housing prices to them as much as [Ellen] DeGeneres,” who flipped houses for years in the area, wrote the article’s author, Anna Peele.
Harry and Meghan gave Montecito unwanted attention
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly drawn to the small Santa Barbara town for its quiet and privacy. But some residents argue their actions contradict that search for seclusion.
Meghan launched her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard out of Montecito, and her new Netflix series With Love, Meghan, was filmed at a home there. She’s creating a sellable image of the idyllic area, but some residents are calling Meghan out for it.
Vanity Fair quoted a resident saying Meghan utilized the town for personal gain, “a kind of hucksterism. It’s just finding every way she can to monetize something. 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.”
However, a separate source said that despite the public opinion of Meghan, she is known to be a hard worker. “Ultimately, that’s all she needs,” they told Vanity Fair.
Therefore, they believe that despite being stagnant since its launch in March 2024, American Riviera Orchard will be successful. “Even if in two years it doesn’t exist anymore and she’s on to the next, it will have that moment. There’ll be no way that you can say that it wasn’t successful.”
Meghan could launch American Riviera Orchard alongside ‘With Love, Meghan’
American Riviera Orchard’s website and Instagram remain quiet. No launch date is listed on either page.
Perhaps Meghan Markle decided that optimally, she should launch her company alongside her Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
With Love, Meghan was scheduled to debut on Jan. 15, 2025. The release date was moved to March due to the California wildfires.
Netflix’s press department released a statement regarding the delay. “At the request of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and with the full support of Netflix, the release of the show — a heartfelt tribute to the beauty of Southern California — has been moved from its previously announced January premiere date to March 4, due to the ongoing devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires.”
Meghan added a separate statement: “I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California.”
