One neighbour explains how he was turned away from the front gates of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s residence in Montecito, California.
Neighbours felt rejected after being turned away at the gates of Harry and Meghan’s mansion
Neighbours have begun to voice their opinions about living next door to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Montecito, California, where the high-profile couple live with their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex eventually relocated to America after stepping down as senior working royals in 2020.
One neighbour in particular, Frank McGinity, reportedly felt rejected after being turned away at the gates of the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ multi-million dollar home, and firmly has stated “they’re not interested” in being neighbours.
The US Navy veteran wanted to lend them some films he had created about the history of the exclusive Californian enclave and help them settle in.
He recounted the brusque encounter with the couple’s security team in a new chapter of his memoir ‘Get Off Your Street’, in which he detailed the residents’ experience with the mudslides that devastated the area only a few years before the Sussexes moved in.
The Montecito mansion features several luxury amenities
The elderly 88-year-old wrote: “The gate guy turned me away and wouldn’t take the film, just saying ‘they’re not interested’. I was trying to be neighbourly. If they were interested in the neighbourhood I’ve got a lot of information.”
McGinity expressed his surprise at learning Meghan and Harry had decided to move in, noting the Riven Rock Estate on which they set up their new Californian home usually attracts much older buyers and renters.
He claimed: “It’s surprising they came here. People are typically older. It’s where the elephants come to die.”
Speaking to the Montecito Journal, he added: “We don’t see them very much around here.”
Another neighbour of Harry and Meghan’s, Richard Mineards, told The Telegraph he was disappointed he hadn’t seen the pair out and about in the area more. Richard mentioned that the community is eagerly “waiting for them” and “gnashing at the bit”.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stopped working as senior royals in 2020
Meanwhile, another local, Barry Maher, told the Mirror that there was growing irritation with the Sussexes’ “travelling soap opera”. He pointed out their residence in a “considerably pricier spot” and the fact that they are hardly ever seen by neighbours.
A real estate expert has expained the running costs of Harry and Meghan’s huge £12million home, claiming that it must cost thousands of pounds every year just to look after it.
Eric Bramlett, of real estate company Bramlett Residential, told Fabulous magazine: “Managing a £12million ($14 million) mansion like Harry and Meghan’s in Montecito takes a lot of work.”
He added that such a mansion would require around 10-15 full-time staff like housekeepers, a private chef and some form of security.
Mr Bramlett explained: “Just paying the staff salaries, utilities, landscaping, maintenance, security, and more could easily cost hundreds of thousands per year.”
